However, seven months later, on 28 June 2024, redemption arrived when India clinched the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, defeating South Africa in a thrilling final that will be remembered for ages.
In their first-ever ICC final, South Africa needed just 30 runs from 30 balls, with Heinrich Klaasen’s explosive 52 off 27 giving them the upper hand. However, India’s bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Hardik Pandya, staged a stunning comeback in the death overs, leaving South Africa seven runs short of the target. The turning point came when Suryakumar Yadav’s spectacular catch dismissed David Miller on the first ball of the final over, with the Proteas needing 16 from six balls.
Special mentions — Rohit Sharma (most runs for India – 257), Arshdeep Singh (joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament – 17), Jasprit Bumrah (best economy rate for India – 4.17), Axar Patel — for his match-changing knock of 47 runs in the final, and Suryakumar Yadav, for that sensational catch that took the internet by storm.
India’s Olympic champions
At the recent Paris Olympics, the Indian contingent featured 110 athletes competing in 16 sports. India secured six medals — one silver and five bronze — placing 71st among 206 participating nations.
Manu Bhaker – Shooting
Manu Bhaker kicked off India’s medal tally with a bronze in the women’s 10 m air pistol, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal.
Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh – Shooting
In the mixed 10 m air pistol event, Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh won bronze, making Bhaker the first Indian to win two medals in a single Olympics post-independence. Sarabjot became the first Indian male shooter since Gagan Narang (2012) and Vijay Kumar (2012) to win an Olympic shooting medal.
Swapnil Kusale – Shooting
Swapnil Kusale won bronze in the 50 m Rifle 3 Positions event, marking India’s first-ever Olympic medal in this category and the third rifle shooting medal after Abhinav Bindra’s 2008 gold and Gagan Narang’s 2012 bronze.
Men’s Hockey Team
The Indian Men’s hockey team won their second consecutive Olympic bronze, bringing their total to 13 medals in the Games history. Harmanpreet Singh, the team captain, was the top scorer with 10 goals. PR Sreejesh, one of the greatest goalkeepers in Indian Hockey history, retired after the Paris Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra – Javelin throw
Neeraj Chopra‘s silver medal at the Paris Olympics, though a huge achievement, left many in India slightly disappointed due to the exceptionally high standards he has established for himself. Chopra, who won a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics, finished second at the Paris Olympics with a throw of 89.45m, behind Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who set a record with a throw of 92.97m.
Aman Sehrawat – Wrestling
At just 21 years and 24 days old, Aman Sehrawat, won a bronze in the 57 kg freestyle category at the Paris Olympics, becoming the youngest Indian to secure an Olympic medal. This was India’s only wrestling medal at the Games.
Vinesh Phogat – Wrestling
One of the most heartbreaking moments in Indian sports came when Vinesh Phogat, the first Indian female wrestler to reach an Olympic final, was disqualified just hours before her gold-medal bout for being 100 grams overweight during the mandatory weigh-in. Phogat had secured her spot in the final in the 50 kg category with a 5-0 win over Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, which would have guaranteed her at least a silver medal. However, the disqualification left her without any medal. Phogat has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a joint silver, arguing her advancement to the semifinal was legitimate. The verdict is pending, but regardless of the outcome, Phogat has made India immensely proud, with or without the Olympic medal. She is the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold at both the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, and has several more achievements under her belt.
Abhinav Bindra – Shooting (Olympic honour)
Abhinav Bindra, the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold, was recently awarded the prestigious Olympic Order for his “distinguished contribution” to the Olympic movement. Established in 1975, the Olympic Order is the highest honour of the Olympic Movement. Bindra, who won gold in shooting at the Beijing Olympics, has also been a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission since 2018.
Special mentions – the athletes who finished fourth at the Olympics
India registered six fourth-place finishes at the Paris Olympics, the highest for the country in a single edition of the Games. However, finishing fourth in an event as prestigious as the Olympics is a notable accomplishment in itself. A special acknowledgment goes to those who narrowly missed out on the bronze medal by the slimmest of margins.
Lakshya Sen, in men’s singles badminton, lost to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in the bronze medal match, but made history as the first Indian male player to reach the Olympic semi-finals.
Tokyo 2020 silver medallist, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, missed out on a second consecutive Olympic medal by finishing fourth in the women’s 49 kg category.
Shooter Arjun Babuta finished fourth in the 10m Men’s Air Rifle final with 208.4 points, missing bronze by 9.5 on his final shot. Manu Bhaker narrowly missed a third medal, finishing fourth in the women’s 25m pistol event.
Archers Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara lost to the USA in the bronze medal match, while skeet shooters, Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka, fell to China.
