PM Modi Dials Team India, Congratulates 'Men In Blue' on Historic T20 World Cup Triumph

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke to the Indian cricket team members over the phone and congratulated the ‘men in blue’ on their seven-run historic victory over South Africa in the T20 World Cup Final 2024 in Barbados. 

India clinched victory from the jaws of defeat as they successfully defended 176 to defeat South Africa and lift the T20 World Cup 2024 trophy at the Kensington Oval on June 29. 

During the conversation, PM Modi lauded Rohit Sharma's splendid captaincy in the tournament and his valuable contribution to the T20 Internationals. "You are excellence personified. Your aggressive mindset, batting and captaincy have given a new dimension to the Indian team. Your T20 career will be remembered fondly. Delighted to have spoken to you earlier today," said PM Modi in an X post. 

PM Modi made a special mention of Virat Kohli, who scored a valuable 76, and praised his immense contribution to Indian Cricket. Taking to X, PM Modi wrote, “Glad to have spoken to you. Like the innings in the Finals, you have anchored Indian batting splendidly. You’ve shone in all forms of the game. T20 Cricket will miss you but I am confident you’ll continue to motivate the new generation of players.” 

The Prime Minister also thanked Rahul Dravid, who stepped down as the head coach following India's win, for his contributions to the team. “Rahul Dravid’s incredible coaching journey has shaped the success of Indian cricket. His unwavering dedication, strategic insights and nurturing the right talent have transformed the team. India is grateful to him for his contributions and for inspiring generations. We are happy to see him lift the World Cup. Happy to have congratulated him,” said PM Modi.  

PM Modi also lauded Hardik Pandya and Surya Kumar Yadav for their respective efforts in bringing the ICC World Cup trophy back home. Further, he took the moment to thank the entire Indian Cricket Team for their extraordinary performance in the series. 

Hardik Pandya bowled the last over to defend the final 16 runs and made the over historic with his magical spell. Meanwhile, SKY (Surya Kumar Yadav) snatched a boundary catch to dismiss David Miller which turned the table in India's favour. 

Kohli, Rohit Announces Retirement

Both the greats announced their retirement from T20 internationals following the win. After India's T20 World Cup victory, Virat Kohli, Player of the Match in the T20 World Cup 2024 final, announced his retirement from the format. 

In one of the most thrill-filled defending matches, India could log 176 on the scoreboard only after Kohli and Axar Patel's 76 and 47 knock, respectively. “This was my last T20 World Cup, this is exactly what we wanted to achieve,” Kohli told the broadcast after India’s win in a global tournament after 11 years.

India captain Rohit Sharma also announced that he was retiring from T20 international cricket after winning the World Cup in Saturday's final against South Africa. 

Rohit said he would continue for India in the Test and ODI formats but was stepping back from the shortest format. "No better time to say goodbye," Rohit said during the post-match press conference as he celebrated India's historic second T20 World Cup title.