The World's Biggest
T20 Stage

In a final that had everything — drama, nervousness, brilliance and redemption — India lifted the ICC Men's T20 World Cup trophy for the second time in their history, defeating South Africa by 7 runs at the iconic Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on June 29, 2024. It was India's first major ICC title in eleven years, their previous being the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first, a decision that initially raised eyebrows given the pitch's unknown nature. But his side delivered magnificently. Virat Kohli, who had been out of form for much of the tournament, chose the biggest stage to produce his most important innings — a masterful 76 off 59 balls that anchored the Indian innings and set South Africa a formidable target of 177 to win.

South Africa needed 16 runs off the final over, bowled by Hardik Pandya. The equation was tight and the tension unbearable. But India's fielding, led by Suryakumar Yadav's stunning boundary catch that dismissed David Miller — one of the greatest catches in T20 World Cup history — ultimately sealed the deal.

Jasprit Bumrah finished with figures of 2/18 in his four overs and was awarded Player of the Tournament for his consistency throughout the competition. Arshdeep Singh also took wickets at crucial moments throughout the campaign. Following the victory, captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja all announced their retirement from T20 International cricket — ending an era in style by going out as world champions.

India became the first team in T20 World Cup history to win the title without losing a single match throughout the tournament — 8 games, 8 wins. The victory sparked massive celebrations across India with millions taking to the streets, and the players were welcomed home as national heroes. Rohit became the third Indian captain to win a major ICC event, joining Kapil Dev (1983 ODI World Cup) and MS Dhoni (2007 T20 WC, 2011 ODI WC, 2013 Champions Trophy).

There are records that stand for decades, and there are records that feel like they should be impossible. Pat Cummins, the Australian captain and fast bowling general, created one such landmark at the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup — becoming the only cricketer in the tournament's seventeen-year history to take two hat-tricks in a single edition.

His first hat-trick came against Bangladesh, removing three top-order batters in consecutive deliveries with a combination of pace variation and seam movement that exposed the limitations of even experienced players against high-quality fast bowling. It was Australia's first hat-trick in T20 International cricket, and it gave his team the momentum needed to dominate the match. His second hat-trick, also in the same tournament, made him a legend.

Cummins took his second consecutive hat-trick in T20 Internationals, becoming the only player to have taken more than one hat-trick in T20 World Cup history. His dual achievements represent the eighth and seventh hat-tricks in the tournament's all-time records. The delivery varieties involved ranged from full-length swinging yorkers to crafty slower balls that deceived batters attempting to go big.

Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh, meanwhile, became the first bowler to take 50 wickets in T20 World Cup history during the same tournament — setting a new milestone while playing in the same game against Cummins. The 2024 edition truly was a tournament full of historical landmarks.

Despite Australia's campaign ending in the group stages, Cummins' individual brilliance was the story of the tournament for neutral observers. His bowling — aggressive, intelligent, and fiercely competitive — reminded the world why he is considered one of the greatest all-format captains in modern cricket history.

When the ICC named Jasprit Bumrah as the Player of the Tournament at the 2024 T20 World Cup, it was not a surprise — it was an inevitability. Throughout the competition across the United States and the Caribbean, Bumrah was not just India's best bowler. He was the best bowler in the entire tournament, full stop. His 15 wickets at an economy rate of 4.17 in T20 cricket — a format specifically designed to punish bowlers — defied every statistical precedent.

His unique bowling action, born from an unorthodox run-up and delivery stride, makes it nearly impossible for batters to "read" his releases. The wrist position remains ambiguous until the very last moment, which means even top-ranked batsmen like David Miller, Quinton de Kock and Nicolas Pooran found themselves unsure whether to play for swing, seam, pace or change-of-pace. That uncertainty is Bumrah's greatest weapon.

Bumrah equalled Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi's tally of 17 wickets to finish joint-top of the wicket charts at the 2024 tournament. But while Farooqi exploited favourable conditions in the group stages, Bumrah's wickets came in high-pressure knockout matches, against the tournament's best batting lineups, including the final itself. The quality of wickets, not just the quantity, set him apart.

In the final against South Africa, with India defending 176, Bumrah produced one of the great spells in T20 World Cup history. His combined figures of 2/18 in four tight overs denied South Africa the platform they desperately needed to launch an assault. He conceded just five singles in the death overs when the Proteas needed boundaries — a level of control in the highest-pressure situation in the game that borders on unreal.

Cricket analysts have since pointed to the 2024 tournament as the moment Bumrah truly became the greatest T20 bowler in history. His ability to bowl accurate yorkers, deceptive slower balls, and rearing bouncers in sequence — combined with his unreadable action — makes him a complete fast bowler in the shortest format. His legacy at this World Cup will be studied and revered for generations.

When the ICC confirmed that the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup would be co-hosted by the United States alongside the West Indies, many in the cricket establishment were sceptical. Could a country where cricket barely registers on the sports radar — in the shadow of NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL — successfully host a World Cup? The answer, delivered over three stunning venues including the purpose-built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, was a resounding yes.

The United States made their T20 World Cup debut as co-hosts with a famous victory over Pakistan at Nassau County Stadium — a result that reverberated around the cricket world. The USA team, a diverse group of players from South Asian, Caribbean, and African backgrounds living the American dream, defeated one of the traditional giants of the game. Saurabh Netravalkar, a former India Under-19 player now working as a software engineer, delivered one of the tournament's great bowling performances in that game.

The Nassau County Stadium, constructed specifically for the tournament, was a marvel of logistics and planning — a 34,000 capacity ground built in under three months. The drop-in pitches transported from Adelaide provided true, bouncy surfaces that produced spectacular cricket. The India vs Pakistan group stage match at this venue drew a global television audience of over 100 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched cricket matches in history.

Beyond the spectacle of results, the tournament's presence in the United States carries long-term significance for cricket's global expansion. The ICC's strategy of investing in developing markets — particularly the vast South Asian diaspora in cities like New York, New Jersey, Houston, and Chicago — has unlocked a potential fanbase in the hundreds of millions. MLS-style cricket leagues, local club development programs, and school cricket initiatives have accelerated dramatically in the aftermath of the 2024 tournament.

The T20 World Cup 2026 is now ongoing with tickets already on sale for the semi-finals and final, and the commercial success of USA's hosting rights has ensured that North America will remain a key pillar of cricket's future. What seemed like an experiment in 2024 has, by 2026, become a blueprint. The USA's cricket revolution is real, it is growing, and it is here to stay. The game has crossed borders in the truest sense of the phrase.