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The Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, witnessed a spectacle not just of thrilling cricket but also of unbridled emotions on Saturday, June 29. India’s victory over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final wasn’t just a win; it was the culmination of an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy, a wait that finally ended in a sea of tears and unrestrained joy.
Indian cricket stars unleash their emotions
Virat Kohli, the talismanic batter who anchored the innings with a fighting 76, was a picture of raw emotion. Years of near misses and personal struggles seemed to melt away as tears streamed down his face, a testament to the immense burden he carried. Captain Rohit Sharma, who has led the team through thick and thin, also succumbed to happy tears, the weight of expectation visibly lifted from his shoulders.
Naah man don't cry 😢 😭 #RohitSharma𓃵 #ViratKohli #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/f6dnp7VqOx
— Katib Raza 🇮🇳 (@HangamiKatib) June 29, 2024
nationalist this is #TeamIndia #T20WorldCup #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/LboGnkQ9x2
— ram kumar (@radheykittu) June 29, 2024
VIRAT KOHLI TEARS IN EYES WITH INDIAN FLAG. 😭
ONE OF THE GREAT PICTURE EVER. #RohitSharma #ViratKohli #T20WorldCup #INDvsENG2024 #England #TeamIndia #ICCT20WorldCup24 #HardikPandya pic.twitter.com/wWKr0j9E1N
— Himanshu Chaurasia (@_cricketguru) June 29, 2024
The emotional wave wasn’t confined to the senior players. Hardik Pandya, whose all-around brilliance with both bat and ball proved pivotal in the tournament, was seen wiping away tears, a reflection of his personal journey back to peak form.
Hardik Pandya in tears after defending the runs in the 20th over. 🥺 pic.twitter.com/7vu6oIdzd0
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 29, 2024
The tears 😢 in Hardik's eyes are telling what this victory 🏆 means 🎉!#T20WorldCup2024#T20WorldCupFinal#ViratKohlipic.twitter.com/ANyeGR85YA
— venkatesh kanike 🇮🇳 (@venkateshkanike) June 30, 2024
The young pacer Mohammed Siraj also joined the emotional outpouring, highlighting the significance of the win for the next generation of Indian cricketers.
Also READ: MS Dhoni’s special post for Team India after T20 World Cup 2024 triumph goes viral
The entire Indian squad shares the euphoria
The support staff and other squad members weren’t immune either. Axar Patel, whose counter-attacking knock 47 runs propelled India to a competitive total, and Kuldeep Yadav, who played a crucial role throughout the tournament with his spin bowling, were visibly moved by the victory. The bowling attack, led by the ever-reliable Jasprit Bumrah and the young gun Arshdeep Singh, who combined for four crucial wickets, and the superman Suryakumar Yadav, a constant threat for the opposition on the field, all shared the emotional rollercoaster.
The scoreboard (India 176/7; South Africa 169/8) tells a story of a tense battle. Kohli’s knock and Patel’s late flourish set a challenging target. South Africa fought valiantly, with Heinrich Klaasen‘s half-century and Quinton de Kock’s contribution offering a glimmer of hope. However, Hardik’s three wickets and Bumrah’s two scalps in the death overs extinguished those hopes, leaving South Africa seven runs short.
This victory transcended the mere act of winning a trophy. The tears of the Indian players were a culmination of years of dedication, pressure, and the burning desire to reclaim their place at the pinnacle of world cricket. The celebrations at the Kensington Oval were a celebration of not just a win, but of resilience, belief, and the dawning of a new era for Indian cricket.
