India end ICC trophy drought with triumph in Barbados as South Africa’s wait for maiden World Cup title continues

Team India’s ICC trophy drought finally came to an end on Saturday after the Rohit Sharma-led side edged South Africa out by seven runs in the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Barbados on Saturday. This was India’s second T20 World Cup title and their first ICC title win since clinching the Champions Trophy in England in 2013.

India break ICC trophy jinx

India’s first of many heartbreaks in ICC tournaments began in 2014. The Men in Blue, under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, came into the 2014 T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as favourites, and while they did go all the way eventually reaching the final, they fell short in the final hurdle. India managed to post only 130/4 on the board, a total which the Lankans would chase down with six wickets to spare on the back of Kumar Sangakkara’s half-century.

The next was the 2015 ODI World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. India came into this tournament a defending champions having won the 2011 edition, and the expectations were high. And while the Men in Blue reached the semi-finals unbeaten, they would go down to eventual champions Australia by 95 runs in the semi-finals.

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A year later, India reached the semi-finals of the 2016 T20 World Cup that was played at home. They took on West Indies, who would later become champions after beating England in the final. In the semi-finals, West Indies rode on Lendl Simmons’ unbeaten 82 to chase down 192 and win by seven wickets.

In 2017, India reached the final of the Champions Trophy in England, where they went down to Pakistan in the final. Chasing a total of 339, India were all out for 158 with Hardik Pandya’s knock of 76 eventually going in vain.

The 2019 ODI World Cup was a case of so close yet so far after their semi-final against New Zealand ended in heartbreak. That MS Dhoni run-out in the 49th over of that semi-final changed the script of the game as India suffered an 18-run defeat.

2021 saw India produce one of their worst performances in T20 World Cups. Earlier that year, India had lost the World Test Championship final to New Zealand in Southampton, and in October, the Men in Blue suffered a Super 12 stage exit from the T20 World Cup following defeats to New Zealand and Pakistan.

In 2022, India under Rohit Sharma, reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in Australia, only to suffer a humiliating 10-wicket loss to the then champions England. The year 2023 saw trend of heartbreaks continue for India, and both were against Australia — in the World Test Championship final in June and then the ODI World Cup Final in November, a tournament where India were unbeaten for 10 matches in the lead-up to the final. A Travis Head century and a Marnus Labuschagne fifty led Australia to their sixth ODI World Cup title with a six-wicket win in Ahmedabad.

South Africa’s heartbreaks continue

As far as South Africa are concerned, the Proteas had never reached the final of a World Cup before, irrespective of the format. The Proteas had suffered semi-final exits from past editions of the T20 World Cups in 2009 (Lost to Pakistan) and 2014 (Lost to India) and they were third time lucky after having crossed the semi-final hurdle this time by beating Afghanistan by nine wickets.

The Proteas, however, are yet to reach the title clash of an ODI World Cup, despite having reached the semi-finals five times (1992, 1999, 2007, 2015 and 2023).

Their seven-run loss to India in the T20 World Cup final on Saturday was their latest heartbreak in ICC tournaments as their wait for an ICC trophy in 26 years continue.