The date September 24, 2007, is etched in golden letters in the history of Indian cricket. On this very day, the Indian team achieved the glory of becoming world champions by defeating Pakistan by 5 runs in the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup.
Sports News: It was the year 2007, the venue was Johannesburg, South Africa, and the date was September 24. This was the first T20 World Cup, and India and Pakistan faced each other in the final. The atmosphere was as if silence had spread throughout the city; people were glued to their TV screens, and tension was everywhere. At that time, just six months prior, Team India had been badly defeated and knocked out of the ODI World Cup.
Following this, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid had refused to play in T20s. In such a situation, the captaincy was handed to a new face, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who emerged as a new hope for the team.
T20 World Cup 2007: The New Face of the Indian Team
In the T20 World Cup 2007, India had only inexperienced players. Big names like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid had refused to play in T20s after the defeat in the ODI World Cup six months prior. Thus, the captaincy was given to MS Dhoni, who was a new and unfamiliar face in Indian cricket.
Under Dhoni's captaincy, no one was taking the Indian team seriously. But this young team performed so impressively on the field that every cricket enthusiast was stunned. This was the team that proved that passion and self-belief can challenge any big team.
Final Match: India vs Pakistan
- Match Venue: Johannesburg, South Africa
- Date: September 24, 2007
Captain MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first. Yusuf Pathan, making his debut in place of the injured Virender Sehwag, played the first shot and hit a six off Mohammad Asif's ball, making an explosive start. Although Yusuf got out quickly, his brilliant start boosted the team's morale.
Gautam Gambhir played a magnificent innings under pressure. He scored 75 runs off 54 balls, including 8 fours and 2 sixes. In the end, Rohit Sharma hammered a quick 30 runs, helping India reach a score of 157 runs for 5 wickets in 20 overs.
Pakistan's Response and the Thrill of the Final Over
Pakistan's team began their chase, but RP Singh and Irfan Pathan delivered superb bowling, providing early breakthroughs. Mohammad Hafeez was dismissed in the first over, and shortly after, Kamran Akmal also returned to the pavilion. However, Misbah-ul-Haq rained fours and sixes, taking the match to the final over. Pakistan needed 13 runs to win from the last 6 balls. All eyes were on who would bowl the final over.
Dhoni handed the last over to Joginder Sharma, which surprised everyone. The first ball was wide, the second a dot ball. Misbah hit a six on the third ball. Now, only 6 runs were needed for victory. On the next ball, Misbah played a scoop shot, and Sreesanth took the catch. After this catch, a storm seemed to erupt in the stadium. All the team players rushed onto the field, and Dhoni gave his jersey to a small child, which became a symbol of his simplicity and humility.
