Young India wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel has revealed that he was cheering for South Africa during the side’s 2024 T20 World Cup final against India in Barbados. In the summit clash, India won by seven runs, snatching an unbelievable victory from the jaws of defeat. At one stage, South Africa needed just 30 runs from 30 balls but India managed to turn the tide in their favour. Now, Jurel has confessed that while he was supporting India, South Africa were playing well. So, playing on the jinx, he switched to supporting South Africa so that India could make a comeback in the game. And sure enough, India did bounce back.
“When I was watching the final and cheering for India, South Africa came in the winning position, so I started cheering for South Africa and India made a comeback. I kept cheering for South Africa and India won the World Cup,” Jurel told BCCI.
Jurel is part of the India squad that is touring Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series, starting from July 6, and is expected to make his India debut in the shortest format. Jurel made his Test debut for India against England in February this year.
Talking about the India vs South Africa 2024 T20 World Cup final, an excellent final five overs bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh clawed the Rohit Sharma-led side back into the game, as the dangerous duo of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller were dismissed
Team India celebrated its T20 World Cup title in incredible fashion, as it conducted an open-top bus parade on the streets of Mumbai, starting from the Marine Drive to the Wankhede stadium.
35,000 spectators packed the Wankhede stadium while lakhs were on the streets to celebrate the T20 World Cup victory with the team. The parade was a repeat of what happened in 2007, when an MS Dhoni-led young India side won the inaugural T20 World Cup. After the tournament, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from T20Is.
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