ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024
The ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 was a historic tournament in the USA and West Indies. The event had everything from first-time host nations to a cinematic final and, finally, to the crowning of deserved unbeaten T20 World Champions. We have recapped and reviewed the tournament, including the group stages, the Super Eights, the semifinals and the final of the T20 World Cup.
ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 Champions
Congratulations to the Indian national cricket team, India 2024 T20 World Champions!
India won the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024. The Indian team were the only team to win every game and remain unbeaten throughout the tournament. They beat quality opposition, including Pakistan, Australia, England and South Africa. After heartbreak in the 2023 World Test Championship Final and the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup, India finally were rewarded for their consistency over the past two years.
The win was bittersweet for the fans, as three greats of Indian cricket bowed out of the International stage. Indian batting greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from International T20 cricket after the final win. The tournament was also the last match under the stewardship of head coach and Indian batting great Rahul Dravid — a fitting farewell to three legends of the game.
Team of the Tournament
Player of the Tournament
Without a doubt, the best bowler in the world, Jasprit Bumrah, was deservedly named the Player of the Tournament. Bumrah was at his absolute best throughout the tournament and was the difference-maker for the Indian team. If not for Bumrah, India would have likely lost the final.
Throughout the T20 World Cup, batters found it nearly impossible to score off the pacer, and his record was impressive. At the end of the tournament, Bumrah’s stats read: 8 innings, 15 wickets, 8.26 average, and 4.17 economy rate. Exceptional stats from a world-class bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, one of a kind and arguably the best fast bowler in the world.
Recap of the T20 Cricket World Cup Final
The ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 final featured the two best teams in the tournament, as South Africa and India clashed in Barbados. Both teams were unbeaten in the tournament and deserved their final spot. For South Africa, a win would see the Proteas finally shed their ‘chokers’ tag and claim their first-ever ICC trophy. Meanwhile, for India, the final allowed them to overcome their heartbreak from the 2023 ODI World Cup final loss.
India won the toss and elected to bat first but was soon in trouble. At the end of the Powerplay, India was 45/3. However, the team came back strongly into the game as Virat Kohli and Axar Patel built a strong partnership. Player of the match, Virat Kohli, finally delivered for the Indian faithful, as he scored 76 from 59 balls. After 20 overs, India finished with an above-par score of 176/7, and South Africa needed 177 runs to win the 2024 T20 World Cup.
South Africa, in reply, started poorly and was quickly 12/2. At the end of the Powerplay, the team consolidated and was 42/2. By the halfway point in the innings, the game was finely poised as South Africa reached 81/3. The 15th over saw South Africa take a stranglehold of the game and had one hand on the trophy. Heinrich Klaasen smashed Axar Patel for 24 runs, and South Africa were 147/4. The equation was simple: South Africa needed 30 runs to win from 30 balls with six wickets in hand.
The only way that the Proteas would lose from that position was if they choked. Unfortunately, that was exactly what they did, as Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Hardik Pandya fought back well at the death and picked up crucial wickets to restrict South Africa to 169/8. In the end, India won by 8 runs and was crowned the 2024 T20 World Cup Champions.
Recap of the T20 Cricket World Cup Semifinals
Semifinal 1: South Africa vs Afghanistan
The first semifinal of the T20 World Cup was all about history, as both South Africa and Afghanistan were one win away from reaching their first-ever ICC final. The Proteas were unbeaten in seven straight games and had all the momentum. For their opponents, the fairytale of the tournament was the story of minnows Afghanistan reaching the semifinals.
With so much at stake leading up to the match, the reality was the match was rather underwhelming. It was good news for South African backers and fans as the Proteas obliterated Afghanistan in the semifinal. South Africa demolished the Afghanistan batting order and bowled them out for 56. In response, the team chased down the total inside nine overs to win by nine wickets and progress to the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 final. It was a historic achievement for the Proteas as they reached their first-ever ICC final.
Semifinal 2: India vs England
The second semifinal was a rematch of the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal, as India battled England. Ahead of the game, India, like South Africa, was unbeaten in the tournament and had all the momentum. The defending T20 World Cup Champions, England, had it all to do to beat India and retain their crown.
Unfortunately, like the first semifinal, this game was another one-sided affair. India thrashed England by 68 runs and avenged their 2022 semifinal loss. Batting first, India set an above-par score of 171/7 after 20 overs. The English batters had no answer for the Indian spin attack and could only respond with a meagre 103 all-out. After the ODI World Cup final heartbreak last year, India had the chance to lift some silverware as they faced South Africa in the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 final.
Recap of the T20 World Cup Super Eights
Super Eights Group 1
India and Afghanistan progressed from Group 1 of the Super Eights. The Indian team were impressive as they easily beat Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Australia.
Afghanistan continued their giant-killing at the T20 World Cup as they deservedly beat Australia and knocked them out of the tournament. With that win, Afghanistan created more history as they reached their first-ever semifinal at an ICC event.
Australia and Bangladesh had a disappointing Super Eights and combined for one win from 6 games between them. Both teams were sent packing from the tournament with poor showings.
Super Eights Group 2
South Africa and England progressed from Group 2 of the Super Eights. The Proteas were impressive and won all three games. They also won all four of their group-stage games, and with sevens wins, they were the only team to boast a 100% win record at the T20 World Cup after the Super Eights.
England comfortably took care of co-host nations, the West Indies and the USA, to progress to the semifinals. The English team were in good form and, with world-class players, could defend their title in the semifinals and final.
Co-hosts of the T20 World Cup, the West Indies and the USA were eliminated at this stage of the tournament. Both teams could take plenty of positives, and the future is bright, especially for USA cricket.
Recap of the T20 World Cup Group Stages
The ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 group stages produced plenty of drama and upsets. In Group A, India steamrolled all opponents to win the group. The big upset was the USA, as they shocked Pakistan and knocked them out of the World Cup. Pakistan had a nightmare of a tournament and headed home in embarrassing fashion. Canada had a good tournament and pushed their opponents. In contrast, it was an underwhelming World Cup for Ireland, and Irish cricket has seen a scary decline.
In Group B, Australia made light work of their opponents and won all four games. England struggled early in the tournament but fought back well to scrape through in the second spot. Scotland punched above their weight, were competitive in all their games, and could consider themselves unlucky not to progress. Namibia and Oman struggled to keep up with their group opponents and finished at the bottom.
Group C saw the West Indies demolish their opponents on their way to a 100% record. The major shock was Afghanistan beating New Zealand and kicking them out of the tournament. Afghanistan was impressive and deserved their spot in the Super Eights. New Zealand was horrendous in the tournament and rightfully eliminated. Uganda and Papua New Guinea were the whipping boys of the tournament, and the less said, the better.
Group D was much more competitive than the table suggested. South Africa won all four games but made hard work of each win. Bangladesh claimed the second spot thanks to beating sub-continent compatriots Sri Lanka. For Sri Lanka, it was yet another failure at an ICC event, while Nepal and Netherlands did well in phases of games, so they should be proud of their efforts.
This article was last updated on 29 June 2024.
