Today's Edition
New Delhi (AFP)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his country's cricketers on Saturday after they won the T20 World Cup in a thrilling final against South Africa, ending an 11-year wait for a world-level title.
"We are proud of the Indian Cricket Team," Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter, adding: "This match was historic."
The prime minister, re-elected earlier this month, watched India lose the ODI World Cup final on home soil in Ahmedabad last year, at the world's biggest cricket stadium -- which is named after him.
In an accompanying video message Saturday, he told the side: "Today, 1.4 billion people are proud because of your spectacular performance.
"You won the World Cup on the ground. But in every village of India, you've won the hearts of people."
India were crowned Twenty20 World Cup champions after a seven-run victory over South Africa in a thrilling final at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.
Electing to bat on a dry surface, 2007 champions India overcame a top-order meltdown to post a competitive 176-7, the highest total in a T20 World Cup final.
Virat Kohli (76) made his first 50 of this World Cup and Axar Patel smashed 47 to power India to a healthy score.
The Proteas also suffered an early collapse but Quinton de Kock (39) and Tristan Stubbs (31) put their chase back on track.
Heinrich Klaasen (52) counter-attacked in spectacular fashion but India's impeccable death-overs bowling restricted South Africa to 169-8.
"We play the sport for this, I am really over the moon," said India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, adjudged player-of-the-tournament.
"We've been working really hard towards this, no better feeling than that.
"We play sport for the big stages. On the big day, you have to give more."
The trophy ended India's 11-year wait for a global title and most of the players were in tears after the victory, while their South African counterparts looked desolate.
After Klaasen plundered 24 runs from Axar's final over, South Africa looked to be cruising to victory, needing 30 runs from 30 balls with six wickets in hand.
Bumrah returned to stop the run flow, however, and Hardik Pandya dismissed Klaasen to change the momentum.
With David Miller in the middle South Africa still looked well capable of scoring 20 runs from the last 12 balls.
But Arshdeep Singh conceded only four runs in the penultimate over and Pandya gave away only eight in the final one to seal an emotional victory.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli retire
India captain Rohit Sharma joined opening partner Virat Kohli in quitting T20 Internationals on Saturday shortly after the team's victory in the World Cup final against South Africa in Bridgetown.
Kohli, 35, produced a match-winning knock of 76 in his final international game in this format to set up India's seven-run win in the humdinger at the Kensington Oval.
"This was my last T20 game playing for India," an emotional Kohli, 35, said after collecting the player-of-the-match award.
"Time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward."
Kohli retires from the format with 4,188 runs from 125 T20 internationals with a strike rate of 137.
His tally is second only to Rohit's 4,231 from 159 matches, which include a record five hundreds.
Considered a modern batting great, Kohli has not been in the best of form in the tournament but saved his best for the final.
"This is exactly what we wanted to achieve," Kohli said.
"I am so proud to get the runs for the team the day it mattered most. The occasion prompted that change for me, I felt like it was now-or-never."
Addressing a press conference later, Rohit, who was part of India's triumphant 2007 squad, also announced his retirement from T20 Internationals.
"This was my last (T20I) game as well," the 37-year-old said.
"No better time to say goodbye to this format. I've loved every moment of this."
"I started my India career playing this format. This is what I wanted, I wanted to win the cup."
"I was very desperate for this title in my life. Happy that we eventually crossed the line."
Both men will continue to play test and 50-overs cricket for India.
