The behemoth that is the Indian cricket team is under captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir. From July 2024 onwards, when both assumed their roles, to now, the Men in Blue are 49-7. Of course, the winning record would’ve hardly mattered had Team India not lifted the T20 World Cup. But they have.
The Ahmedabad jinx ends
The ghosts of Ahmedabad were very much at the back of the mind, if not for the players, then the fans. Less than 3 years ago, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, India faced one of the most heartbreaking defeats at the hands of Australia. ‘Not again,’ said the Indian team as they beat New Zealand by 96 runs.
Greatest T20 team ever?
Team India has the world’s best bowler in Jasprit Bumrah and perhaps one of the greatest top 3 ever assembled in T20s. In the final against New Zealand, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan combined to score 195 runs in 15.2 overs (92 balls). Bumrah took 15/4 in 4 overs, the best figures by a fast bowler in a T20 World Cup final. The question is how India won; how could they have lost with players like these?
We haven’t even talked about Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel, perhaps the best pace and spin all-rounders in T20s. Varun Chakaravarthy wasn’t at his best in the Super 8, semi-final, or final. Yet, he finished with the most wickets in the tournament. Shivam Dube and Tilak Varma played crucial roles whenever needed.
Without a doubt, it’s one of the greatest T20 teams ever assembled. To score 250+ in the T20 World Cup semi-final and final is just beyond words. You can call the pitch flat. Label the batters as ‘flat-track bullies’, but it won’t change anything. They played on the same pitch as the opposition and where the better side when it mattered the most.
Fearless approach
They are world conquerors. The first team to defend their T20 World Cup trophy, winning a record third one, which no team had ever done before. The first side to win a T20 World Cup trophy at home. No doubt these are some of the greatest players to ever play. But Suryakumar and Gambhir do need credit.
They’ve backed these players. Shubman Gill, the vice-captain, was dropped for Samson. Abhishek was given a go, despite a flurry of low scores. Chakaravarthy went all over the park, but they stuck with him. Because that’s what championship-winning teams do.
They adopted a fearless approach that no other Indian team dared to. Until a few years ago, the Men in Blue would go into their shells in knockout matches. The 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final against England was the best example. Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid took the first step towards aggression over defence, but it’s Suryakumar and Gambhir who’ve accomplished it.
It doesn’t matter if the score is 0/1 or 100/1; the next batter in will go for it. Samson didn’t get one hundred despite scoring 97*, 89 and 89. Why? Because he didn’t care for the milestone but for the team. And that’s why Team India are the T20 World Cup champions.
