(Credit BCCI)
Kuldeep Yadav’s childhood coach Kapil Dev Pandey is confident that under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, Team India will bring back the glory of the 2007 T20 World Cup to India after a 17-year wait. They are set to face South Africa in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final on Saturday in Barbados.
India is aiming to reclaim the trophy they last won in the inaugural 2007 edition, while South Africa is making their first final appearance after seven previous World Cup semifinal defeats across formats.
In their T20 World Cup history, India has had the upper hand against South Africa, having won six out of their previous encounters.
India’s path to the final saw them defeat England by 68 runs in the semifinals, maintaining their unbeaten streak of eight matches.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Pandey expressed his optimism about India’s chances of winning the T20 World Cup. He described the current Indian cricket team as the best he has seen prepare for a final.
“India is performing exceptionally well and they have reached the final of the T20 World Cup after beating every team…This is the best Indian T20I team to reach the final and I firmly believe that this team will bring back the glory of 2007 T20 WC and end the drought of 17 years,” stated Pandey.
The Indian team boasts an abundance of talent, and one player who has notably impacted their campaign with the ball is wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Kuldeep, who did not feature at all during the group stages in the USA, has come into prominence since the Super Eight phase in the Caribbean.
His standout performance came in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England, where he delivered impressive figures of 3/19, playing a pivotal role in India’s journey to the final.
“Obviously, he(Kuldeep) is the backbone of the Indian team. He got the chance in the last four matches and has been performing very well. We all know what sort of player he is and I feel really proud to see him delivering for the country,” stated Kuldeep’s childhood coach.
Certainly, India will rely on the spinner and the entire team to mount a final effort and secure the elusive title, especially as they prepare to take on an undefeated South Africa in today’s final.
