The Game Changers

Rahul Dravid, Coach

It’s a remarkable thing that Dravid has coached India at more world events—four—than he played in—three. But the agony of not winning a World Cup was just as bad on either side of the boundary, which thankfully ended in Barbados.

ROHIT SHARMA, Runs 257

As captain in 2023, Rohit had suffered with losses to Australia in ODI World Cup and World Test Championship. He avenged that here with a stellar knock of 92 against the Aussies, before showing his true leadership skills in the final to become only the third Indian to win a World Cup.

VIRAT KOHLI, Runs 151

Kohli had made a habit of top-scoring for his T20 team, be it India or RCB, and yet finishing without the trophy, IPL or T20 World Cup. Then he scored 76 in Barbados, doubling his tournament tally at one-go, and rode off into the sunset as Man of the Match in the final.

ARSHDEEP SINGH Wickets 17

The lefty seamer finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker at this World Cup with 17 huge scalps, but none bigger than his twin strikes against South Africa’s golden boys, captain Aiden Markram and best bat Quinton de Kock.

AXAR PATEL, Runs 92, Wickets 9

If there was a critic’s choice in cricket awards, Patel would be the unanimous Player of the Series. The left-arm spinner stopped England in their tracks with three match-winning wickets in the semis, before reviving India’s batting innings in the final. When he walked in, the score was 34/3. He made 47 runs alone in the final thriller.

RISHABH PANT, Runs 171, Dismissals 14

Following the horrific car crash in end-2022 that nearly cost him his life and all but snatched away a thriving career in its nascence, few would have expected Pant to play top-level cricket again, let alone win a World Cup 18 months later. He did so in style, with the most number of dismissals for a wicketkeeper at this edition.

JASPRIT BUMRAH, Wickets 15

India’s greatest-ever exponent of the white ball now finally has a worthy trophy to show for his efforts. If not for his magical display at the death in the final, South Africa would be champions. For that spell and his 15 wickets, he rightly finished with the Man of the Series award.

SHIVAM DUBE, Runs 133

With strong returns in the middle order against the US, Bangladesh and Australia, Dube had more than justified his inclusion in the XI. But then he stepped it up when it mattered most in the final, with 27 invaluable runs, when greater names had failed.

KULDEEP YADAV, Wickets 10

The Chinaman bowler played only five matches in the campaign but finished with a plunder of wickets: 10. That was due to the fact that he took multiple wickets in each of his matches, except in the final.

SURYAKUMAR YADAV, Runs 199

Surya scored nearly 200 runs and smacked two crucial fifties. But it is that magnificent catch on the boundary in the final over of the tournament to get rid of the dangerous David Miller that he will forever be mythicised for.

HARDIK PANDYA, Runs 144, Wickets 11

Personally and professionally, life had been hell for Pandya. He limped out of the 2023 World Cup and was booed all around India in IPL for having usurped Rohit Sharma’s captaincy at Mumbai Indians. Then he held his nerve in the final over in Barbados and instantly turned into a hero.

RAVINDRA JADEJA, Runs 35, Wicket 1

The third legend to retire from T20I cricket at the end of this tournament after Rohit and Virat, Jadeja may not have had a stellar tournament with runs and wickets, but his contributions as fielder are nothing short of priceless.

About The Author

Aditya Iyer

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