Few dates are special. Few moments are meant to be relished forever. Perhaps June 29, 2024, will be one of them that will forever stay in the hearts of the Indian cricket fraternity. Not because the world resonated with the tears of a billion souls. But for the tears to have reflected a sense of unbridled exuberance. It’s the jubilation of the Indian team, captained by Rohit Sharma, lifting the 2024 T20 World Cup to end an eleven-year drought of ICC trophies.
The Men in Blue squared off against South Africa in the ultimate showdown of the mega-event on Saturday in the Kennington Oval, Barbados. It was a battle of undefeated sides of the tourney, and India edged past its counterparts by a bare margin to clinch the silverware and win a billion hearts.
From Rohit to Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya to Rahul Dravid, each individual was shedding tears of joy. They were not alone as a swarm of 1.4 billion resonated a similar share of emotions. With India ending a special campaign on a high, we shall sneak into the individual performances and rate each one of them. 
Rohit Sharma: 9.5/10
The pack leader has led the team from the front during the special event in the USA and Caribbean. Not only did he amass 257 runs at an average of 36.71 and a strike rate of 156.71, Rohit Sharma changed the way one should look at the T20I format. He took a selfless approach with the willow and scored runs under tricky situations.
The Mumbaikars’ flamboyant 92 against Australia will forever remain etched in the history books. Also, his gritty 57 against England in the Semi-Final paved the way for India’s route to the final. He also smashed a fifty against Ireland at Nassau County, New York, a pitch that received plenty of gross remarks for its poor quality.
Where did Rohit lose points?:
- Maybe Rohit could’ve brought Jasprit Bumrah before Axar Patel’s 24-run over to curb Heinrich Klaasen and avoid a tricky run-a-ball situation.
- Single-digit score in the final.
Virat Kohli: 7.5/10
Kohli may not have been in the best of touch with the willow during the T20 World Cup, but he proved his mettle on the biggest stage. The 35-year-old smashed a 59-ball 76 in the final against South Africa under extreme pressure to lay the foundation for a 176-run total. Kohli once again proved why he’s one of the modern-day greats of the game and, hence, was adjudged the Player of the Match in the final.
Where did Kohli lose points?
- Lean patch with the bat in the early half of the tournament.
Rishab Pant: 6/10
The wicketkeeper-batter played a pivotal knock against Pakistan on a difficult New York pitch that gave hope to a billion people. Eventually, it helped India win the battle of arch-rivals in the group stages. However, Pant failed to capitalise on the No. 3 position in the remaining games but has been exceptional behind the stumps. To be able to perform in full flow after a horrific accident in December 2022, Pant’s comeback has been truly remarkable.
Where did Pant lose points?
- 171 runs in eight innings is not an impressive number for a No. 3 batter.
- Batting failure in the semi-final and final.
Suryakumar Yadav- 8/10
The Mumbai-bred cricketer did not start the tournament in a rosy fashion but gradually picked pace with the bat. He smashed a half-century against the USA and played a superb knock against Afghanistan and Australia to steer India out of scrutiny. Surya is the second-highest run-getter for India in the tournament, second to his skipper Rohit. In addition, he has been a gun fielder in the outfield, and the catch to dismiss David Miller in the last over of the final made a huge difference in the context of the game, thereby earning him eight points.
Where did Surya lose points?
- Suryakumar Yadav was in no way at his peak with the bat.
- A batting average of 28.42 doesn’t sum up his batting ability.
Shivam Dube- 5/10
The ploy to bring Shivam Dube in the squad did not pay India richly. However, Dube must be proud of his 16-ball 27 in the final, which helped his side make a difference in the game.
Where did Dube lose points?
- Dube was dismissed for a golden duck in the semi-final – at a crucial juncture of the game.
- Dube failed to transcend his IPL form in national colours.
Hardik Pandya- 9.5/10
The all-rounder was a game-changer for the Indian cricket team in the World Cup. He averaged 48 with the bat, and his batting strike rate read 151.57. Pandya smashed a fifty against Bangladesh and glued useful contributions to lower the order against Australia and England. He also scalped eleven wickets in the tourney with a three-for in the final, including the big fish Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller.
Where did Hardik lose points?
- As an all-rounder, he did all he could. 0.5 gets deducted for not being a tad less economical on occasion.
Axar Patel – 9/10
The all-rounder’s match-defining 47 in the final and three-fer in the semi-final played a pivotal role in India’s World Cup win. He also played a gutsy knock against Pakistan in a tricky pitch to stabilise the stage for the Men in Blue.
Where did Axar lose points?
- The Gujarat-based star leaked 24 runs against Klaasen in the 15th over, where the game tilted in favour of Proteas.
Ravindra Jadeja – 2/10
Among all Indian players, Ravindra Jadeja has been off-coloured with the bat and ball.
Where did Jadeja lose points?
- He scored just 35 runs in five innings.
- Jadeja scalped just a solitary wicket in the campaign.
Jasprit Bumrah – 10/10
The Indian spearhead broke the record of the most economical (4.18) bowling figures in a T20 World Cup by surpassing Sunil Narine. Having scalped 15 wickets, he was the game-changer for India with the ball. Bumrah did the hard job of taking wickets with the new ball, breaking growing partnerships and defending runs in the slog overs. Bumrah is a genius in his art and deserves full marks after being adjudged Player of the Tournament.
Kuldeep Yadav – 8/10
The left-arm wrist spinner has been more than decent with the ball in the tournament. He replaced Mohammed Siraj in the Super Eight stages and picked up ten wickets from five matches at an impressive bowling strike rate of 12.
Where did Kuldeep lose points?
- He was wicketless in the final and could have been more economical.
Arshdeep Singh- 9/10
The left-arm pacer has complemented Bumrah brilliantly in the World Cup campaign. He finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament, with 17 scalps at a bowling average of 12.64. He has often induced early breakthroughs or broken important stands for his nation.
Where did Arshdeep lose points?
- Arshdeep had the worst economy among Indian bowlers against Pakistan in New York.
- The medium pacer failed to draw early wickets in the semi-final.
Mohammed Siraj- 3/10
Siraj did not have an impressive outing with the ball, snaring a solitary wicket in three matches under pace-friendly conditions. However, his seven runs against Pakistan made a difference in the totals of both teams.
Where did Siraj lose points?
- Siraj could’ve done better in the bowling-friendly conditions of New York.
