Team India grabbed their second T20 World Cup title after a 17-year wait. The Men in Blue clinched a tense victory over South Africa in the final on Saturday. The long-awaited triumph brought tears of joy to legions of cricket fans and former players who had endured an 11-year ICC title famine. Virat Kohli laid the foundation with a his steady 76-run knock, propelling India to a challenging total. In the final overs, the pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh orchestrated a stunning comeback to help India script history in Barbados.
Emotions ran high in Barbados as well as in India. T20 World Cup 2007 champion Robin Uthappa could not hold back tears as he candidly discussed the challenges of being an Indian cricketer with Ravichandran Ashwin. Uthappa’s heartfelt words resonated with Ashwin, who could empathize with the experiences Uthappa shared.
“As a cricketer who proudly represented India, I was deeply moved by the raw emotion I felt from everyone in the aftermath of our long-awaited victory. I shed tears of joy for each player in the first 20 minutes, then went to bow before God and express my heartfelt gratitude. All of us who have donned the national colors know the immense challenges and adversity we face as cricketers for our country,” an emotional Uthappa told Ashwin.
Uthappa, who played alongside Dravid, shared his thoughts on the outgoing coach, saying there could not have been a more perfect end to his tenure.
“Rahul Dravid’s career as both a player and coach has been outstanding. Considering the many years he has played, it was poignant to see the 50-year-old finally secure his first trophy on what may have been his last day associated with the BCCI. The way he celebrated like an overjoyed child captures the pure joy and beauty that sport can inspire, even at the highest levels,” he added.
