Rohit Sharma led India to their second T20 World Cup title almost three months ago in Barbados. It took the team a staggering 17 years to win the World Cup again in the shortest format despite being home to the best T20 league in the world – the Indian Premier League (IPL). In fact, the first T20 World Cup win exactly 17 years ago today changed Indian cricket completely. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), initially opposed to the T20 format, launched the cash-rich league the very next year, and the rest, as they say, is history.
On September 24, 2007, under MS Dhoni’s meticulous and astute captaincy, India emerged victorious in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup, defeating their arch-rivals Pakistan by a mere five runs. Ravi Shastri’s iconic commentary, “In the air… Sreesanth takes it. India win,” is etched into the annals of cricket history and continues to give goosebumps to Indian cricket fans.
India faced a significant setback ahead of the final as their explosive opener, Virender Sehwag, was sidelined due to injury. This forced Dhoni to make a bold decision – debuting Yusuf Pathan and sending him to open the batting alongside Gautam Gambhir after winning the toss and opting to bat first. The new opening partnership, however, didn’t last long. Pathan was dismissed by Mohammad Asif after a brief stay, contributing only 15 runs. Soon after, Robin Uthappa followed Pathan back to the pavilion.
Yuvraj Singh, the man in form after hitting six sixes in an over against England and scoring a blistering 70 off 30 balls in the semi-final against Australia, then joined Gambhir at the crease. Yuvraj struggled initially but held his ground as Gambhir took the lead. Gambhir played a crucial innings, scoring 75 runs off just 54 balls. However, India experienced a middle-order collapse, losing Gambhir, Yuvraj, and Dhoni in quick succession, placing them in a precarious position at 130/5 in the 18th over.
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Pakistan, sensing an opportunity, aimed to restrict India to a total under 150. However, a young Rohit Sharma, then known more for his finishing capabilities, had other plans. Sharma’s unbeaten 30 propelled India to a respectable total of 157 runs in their allotted 20 overs at Wanderers.
India’s bowlers then took center stage. RP Singh bowled an exceptional opening spell, dismissing Mohammad Hafeez in the first over and Kamran Akmal shortly after. Imran Nazir, however, counterattacked ferociously, smashing 33 runs off just 14 balls and propelling Pakistan past the 50-run mark by the 6th over. Just when it looked as if Nazir would take the game away from India, a direct hit from Robin Uthappa ensured his departure, turning the tide back in India’s favor.
Nazir’s run-out triggered a dramatic collapse, reducing Pakistan from 53/2 to 77/6 within six overs. Despite India’s firm control, the match was far from over. Misbah-ul-Haq, being the lone warrior, found valuable support from Yasir Arafat and Sohail Tanvir, who scored 15 and 12 runs respectively, keeping Pakistan in contention.
With the equation coming down to 13 runs needed off the last over and only one wicket remaining, Dhoni made a surprising yet bold decision. He entrusted Joginder Sharma, rather than the more experienced Harbhajan Singh, to bowl the final over. The pressure was immense, and it appeared that the gamble might backfire as Joginder bowled a wide and then conceded a six, leaving Pakistan only six runs short of victory with four balls remaining.
In a dramatic turn of events, Misbah attempted a scoop shot off a full delivery instead of playing a conventional stroke. The ball went high into the air towards fine leg, and Sreesanth, standing under tremendous pressure, safely pouched the catch. India won the inaugural T20 World Cup, sending the cricket-loving nation into euphoria and ending a 24-year wait for an ICC trophy.
Seventeen years later, despite India’s T20 World Cup win earlier this year, that first World Cup win in 2007 remains special. It not only marked the dawn of a new era under Dhoni but also paved the way for India to achieve the No.1 ranking in Tests, win the ODI World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013, forever changing the landscape of Indian cricket.
