Virat Kohli's 'shoutout' to Jasprit Bumrah for 'bringing India back' in WC final: 'We felt, is it going to slip away?'

South Africa needed 30 runs off 30 balls after Axar Patel leaked 24 in the 14th over of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final. Virat Kohli-starrer Team India was on the cusp of another World Cup heartbreak at the time. Will it happen all over again? Rohit Sharma badly wanted to exorcise the ghosts of the ICC finals at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. What did the Hitman do next? The Indian skipper opted to rope in pace ace Jasprit Bumrah for the death overs against the on-song Proteas batters.

What happened next is history. After a Kohli masterclass, Bumrah dished out another match-changing performance to set up a thrilling win for Team India in Barbados. With Bumrah making sure India roared back in the death overs to seal a seven-run win over South Africa, batting icon Kohli gave the Indian speedster a massive shutout during the felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

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'Applaud a guy who brought us back': Kohli puts spotlight on Bumrah

"Like everyone in the stadium here, we also felt at one point if it is going to slip away again, but what happened in those last five overs was truly, truly special. You know what I'd like everyone to do is applaud a guy who brought us back into games again and again and again in this tournament. What he did in those last five overs, bowling two out of the last five overs, it was phenomenal. A huge round of applause for Jasprit Bumrah, please. We are lucky that he plays for us,” Kohli told a packed Wankhede after Team India's open bus parade in Mumbai. Rallying behind the Team India star, fans at the Wankhede chanted ‘Boom Boom’ to salute the fast bowler.

Time to declare Jasprit Bumrah a national treasure?

During the special event at the Wankhede, presenter Gaurav Kapur told Kohli that he is thinking of signing a petition to declare Bumrah a national treasure. "I am thinking of signing a petition to declare Jasprit Bumrah as a national treasure. Will you sign it?," he asked. "I will sign it right now," Kohli responded.

Bumrah masterclass in T20 World Cup final

Returning for his third over, Bumrah leaked only four runs in the 16th. Mounting more pressure on the free-scoring Proteas, Bumrah improved his previous over by conceding only two runs in the 18th. The speedster also got the better of Marco Jansen to stage India's comeback in the final-over thriller against South Africa. The 30-year-old was named the Player of the Tournament after India first claimed its first World Cup title in 13 years. The Indian speed merchant picked up 15 wickets as India became the first men's team to win a T20 World Cup without losing a single game.