India‘s triumphant journey in the T20 World Cup 2024 concluded with a thrilling victory over South Africa, ending a more than decade long wait for a World Cup title. The Men in Blue displayed exceptional skill and determination throughout the tournament to clinch the coveted trophy.
This victory marked Rahul Dravid‘s last stint as head coach, as his Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) contract ended with the culmination of the global showpiece event. Before his departure, Dravid gave India’s talismanic batter Virat Kohli a special and final task to complete.
Virat Kohli’s stellar performance
Kohli was a standout performer in the final, playing a crucial innings of 76 off 59 balls to help India set a competitive total of 176/7. The bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, then restricted South Africa to 169/8, registering a 7-run win for India.
Rahul Dravid’s final assignment to Virat Kohli
After the summit clash, as the players reveled in their hard-earned triumph, the Indian dressing room was filled with jubilation and celebrations. A heartwarming video shared by the ICC on its Instagram handle captured the joyous moments, with Indian players taking turns to pose with the trophy.
Amid the celebrations, outgoing head coach Dravid delivered a special task to Kohli, saying, “All three white ticked off, one red to go.” This cryptic message was a nod to Kohli’s achievements in the three white-ball formats – winning the ODI World Cup 2011, the Champions Trophy 2013, and now the T20 World Cup. Dravid’s message underscored the next big challenge for Kohli and the team: winning the World Test Championship (WTC) title, thereby completing a clean sweep of all three major ICC tournaments.
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Kohli’s quest to achieve the eternity
Kohli’s illustrious career is already adorned with remarkable achievements, but the one trophy that continues to elude him and the Indian team is the World Test Championship mace.
Kohli, who was instrumental in India’s victories in the ODI WC 2011 and CT 13, now has the T20 WC triumph added to his illustrious list.
Despite this, the WTC remains a significant goal. India reached the finals of the ultimate event in both 2021 and 2023 but fell short against New Zealand and Australia, respectively. Kohli’s batting and the team’s resolve will be crucial as they aim to qualify for the WTC Final next year in England, with the ultimate goal of securing the coveted Test Championship mace.