Rohit Sharma, the Indian skipper, heaped praise on his teammates for showing character when the team's back was against the wall. It was India's first T20 World Cup win since 2007 and their first win in the final of an ICC tournament since 2013. The team, led by Rohit Sharma, had dominated the 50-over World Cup last year before losing in the final, much like they had dominated the two-year Test Championship final before coming up second best against Australia in the longest format earlier in 2023. Rohit insisted that India's unbeaten run in the 2024 T20 World Cup was a result of the team's behind-the-scenes work over the last three to four years.
"Very hard to sum up what we have been through for the last three years," Rohit said. "To be honest, we worked very hard as individuals and as a team, a lot has gone on behind the scenes for us to be here today and win this game. It is not what we did today, it is what we have been doing for the last three years. That's the result that has come to us today. We have played lots of high-pressure games in the past as well and have been on the wrong side. But the guys understand what needs to be done. Today was the perfect example of when the back is against the wall, what is required. We stuck together as a team, and the guys, all of us, even when at one point it was looking like South Africa's game.
"Overall, as a team, as a group on the field, we wanted this really badly. We wanted to win this. To win a tournament like this, a lot goes on behind the scenes, a lot of effort, and a lot of minds need to come together. I am very proud of this bunch of boys I have and the management as well for giving us that liberty to go and play, to execute, for having that trust in each one of us. That has to start with the management, coach, and captain, and then the players go out there and do it. Throughout the tournament, I think we were fantastic. And credit needs to go to the management as well."
Virat Kohli, who had endured a poor run in the tournament, reserved his best for the final. After India was dented early with three wickets, he carried forward India's innings. After getting going with three boundaries in the opening over, he struggled his way to a 49-ball half-century before pressing the accelerator in the death overs. His 59-ball 76 helped India post a competitive 176 for 7 and earned him the Player of the Match award.
"Nobody was in doubt about Virat's form," Rohit said. "We know the quality he has; come the occasion, the big players will stand up. Virat was holding that end up for us; we wanted someone to bat as long as possible. This wasn't a wicket where a new guy could come and play straight away. That's where the experience of Virat comes through."
India managed to secure a seven-run win in the final against South Africa when the opposition needed only 30 runs off the last five overs with six wickets in hand. Heinrich Klaasen had smothered Axar Patel for 23 runs in the 15th over, shifting the momentum heavily in favour of South Africa. However, the three following overs bowled by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, followed by Suryakumar Yadav's catch close to the long-on boundary in the last over to dismiss David Miller, brought the contest back in India's favour.
Despite being 'gutted' by the loss, South African skipper Aiden Markram praised his side for the performance they put up.
"Gutted for the time being, it will take some time to have a good reflection on this," Markram said. "Hurts quite a bit, but full credit to the bowlers and everyone else in this team. We bowled well, there wasn't a lot to work with, and we restricted them to a chasable total. We batted well, and came down to the wire in a great game of cricket, but not quite there for us today.
"We've seen a lot of our games; it isn't over till the last ball is bowled. We never got comfortable, and there was always scoreboard pressure. Having said that, this was a really good game which proves that we were worthy finalists. Hopefully, this sets us up in a really good way. We pride ourselves on competing, and hopefully, we can put our skill to good use."