T20 WORLD CUP FINAL: WHEN DHRUV JUREL'S REVERSE-JINX WORKED FOR INDIA AGAINST SA
India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel said he was at the edge of his seat watching the T20 World Cup 2024 final between India and South Africa on June 29 and that he resorted to reverse-jinxing in the final stages of the last-over thriller. Speaking to BCCI on the eve of the India's T20I series opener in Harare, Zimbabwe, Dhruv Jurel said he celebrated "like a kid" after Hardik Pandya sealed the win for India with a nerve-wracking last over at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Dhruv Jurel, in a funny revelation, said him backing India was not working. Much like many cricket lovers in the country, the wicketkeeper-batter started resorting to reverse-jinxing when South Africa were in the driver's seat.
"I was backing India to win, but it looked like South Africa were winning that final. Then I backed a South African win. Then India won. I was celebrating like a kid," Dhruv Jurel said in a video shared by the BCCI.
How Yuvraj Singh reacted to India's T20 World Cup triumph
The Indian hopes were fading when South Africa brought the equation down to 30 off 30 deliveries in their chase of 177. Heinrich Klaasen went after Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, smashing 38 runs in the 14th and the 15th overs. However, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh turned it around with miserly overs at the death.
GREAT ENDING FOR THREE LEGENDS: RUTURAJ
Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is also part of the India squad for tthe Zimbabwe series, said the T20 World Cup triumph was a fitting end to the T20I careers of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja. The senior trio announced retirement after the big final in Barbados.
"To have this kind of a win where we were almost in he jaws of defeat and then to come back and win from there is a special moment. Great ending for three legends of T20 cricket," Ruturaj said.
Captain Shubman Gill said: "This must be very special for me and very special for all of them. I have seen them for a long time. They were working really hard for this feather in their cap," he added.
The T20 World Cup-winning Indian team was hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for breakfast upon their arrival in New Delhi on Thursday, July 4. The team also had an open-top bus parade in Mumbai before they were felicitated by the BCCI top brass at the Wankhede Stadium.
The focus will now shift to the T20I series in Zimbabwe as the next generation of Indian cricket stars, led by Shubman Gill, will play five matches from July 6 to 14.
2024-07-05T09:23:32Z dg43tfdfdgfd