Indian cricket in 2024: Painful trophy wait ends before rare loss at home triggers transition talk

New Delhi: The monkey was finally off India’s back in a roller-coaster 2024 when the financial giants of international cricket ended a 13-year wait for a world title, lost a rare Test series at home and dealt with transition triggered by both expected and unexpected retirements by the stalwarts of the game.

There was plenty of action over the last 12 months that kept the loyal Indian fan interested.

World Cup triumph; T20 farewell to Rohit and Kohli

The Indian cricket team and its unparalleled fan base were desperate for an ICC trophy after repeatedly faltering in the knock-out stages over the past decade, most recently in the ODI World Cup final at home last year.

The trophy finally came home after Rohit Sharma and Co. played a near perfect tournament to become the T20 World Cup champions in the USA and the Caribbean.

India’s clarity of thought throughout the one-month long event was remarkable and with a little bit of luck on their side, especially in the final at Barbados, they were able to go the distance.

On undercooked pitches in New York, they were pace heavy before unleashing their trump card Kuldeep Yadav from the Super 8 stage of the tournament. India picked as many as four spinners in the squad but played three in Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep.