Team India ended a 17-year wait to win their second T20 World Cup title with a nervy win over South Africa in the title clash on Saturday. The win brought tears of joy to several cricket fans and former players alike who had been waiting for the ICC title drought to end for the past 11 years. Virat Kohli laid the foundation with a gritty 76-run knock to help India post a challenging total after which the fast bowlers - Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh - pulled off a stunning comeback in the last five overs to help India script history at Barbados.
There was no slowing down of emotions - be it in Barbados or India as 2007 T20 World Cup-winning star Robin Uthappa failed to hold back tears while talking to Ravichandran Ashwin. Uthappa spoke from the heart about the challenges of being an Indian cricketer, which Ashwin could relate to.
"I could feel every person's emotion so strongly. I cried for each individual player for the first 20 minutes after the victory. I went and bowed before God and to say thank you. As a cricketer who played for India, who has represented the country to say thank you for the victory because this was so long in coming. Everyone who played for India and represented our country knows the kind of crap we are put through," Uthappa stated as R Ashwin also shed tears after India's historic win.
India's T20 World Cup win also ended Rahul Dravid's final assignment as Team India's head coach on a high. He leaves having finally won an ICC title after coming close to lifting it thrice earlier. Dravid finished his playing career without a World Cup - he came close in 2003 when India lost in the final to Australia. But the win over South Africa gave one of Indian cricket's most loyal servant the most joyful moment of his cricketing career.
Also Read | Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma break down in tears on live TV after IND's T20WC win: 'Last 10 days were very difficult...'
{{/usCountry}}India's T20 World Cup win also ended Rahul Dravid's final assignment as Team India's head coach on a high. He leaves having finally won an ICC title after coming close to lifting it thrice earlier. Dravid finished his playing career without a World Cup - he came close in 2003 when India lost in the final to Australia. But the win over South Africa gave one of Indian cricket's most loyal servant the most joyful moment of his cricketing career.
Also Read | Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma break down in tears on live TV after IND's T20WC win: 'Last 10 days were very difficult...'
{{/usCountry}}Adding further, Uthappa, who played with Dravid, shared his thoughts on The outgoing coach, saying there isn't couldn't have been a more fitting end to his stint.
"If I look at Rahul Dravid's journey as a coach and as a player. Think about how many years he's played. And in his last game as the coach and possibly his last day of ever being associated with the BCCI, that is the day he finally gets his first trophy. We saw that 50-year-old man celebrate like a 5-year-old kid. This is the beauty of sport," concluded Uthappa.