India wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav on Saturday (July 6) shared his feelings about the team’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, calling it surreal and beyond belief.
The Men in Blue defeated South Africa by seven runs in the title clash in Barbados on June 29 to clinch their second T20 World Cup title.
"It has been an unreal experience for me, and I hope I keep experiencing such things henceforth," Kuldeep said, as quoted by PTI, during a felicitation function in Kanpur.
"This experience is something which could take a lifetime for some people. Thus, I want the team to fare the same way in the next ICC tournament (Champions Trophy) and play its best cricket."
Kuldeep Yadav played an instrumental role in the team's success, picking up 10 wickets from six matches, including the figures of 3/19 against England in the semi-final.
"Feeling extremely happy as a player because it's the eighth year of my Team India career, and I had the good fortune of lifting an ICC trophy. It's tough to explain in words about our experience in the last week," he added.
Kuldeep attributed this victory to strong camaraderie and encouragement within the team, combined with their diligent efforts.
"The team's bonding and support for each other throughout the tournament and how we have been playing for the last three to four years -- it is the result that we have achieved today.
"The whole nation, along with our teammates and the support staff are extremely happy, and so am I," he remarked.
Looking back at the T20 World Cup final, Team India had posted a stiff total of 176/7 on the board after opting to bat first, courtesy of good knocks from Virat Kohli (76 off 59), Akshar Patel (47 off 31) and Shivam Dube (27 off 16).
In response, South Africa were cruising when Heinrich Klaasen (52 off 27) was at the crease. After Klaasen’s wicket, however, they lost the plot as the Indian pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah (2-18), Hardik Pandya (3-20) and Arshdeep Singh (2-20) pulled things back in the last five overs to restrict the Proteas to 169/8 in 20 overs.
This narrow victory in the final marked the end of India’s 11-year-long ICC trophy drought.
(With PTI Inputs)
