Chapter 17 : Winning ICC T20 Trophy after 15 years

India won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 and since then, they have struggled to make it past the knockout stages. This tournament was particularly significant for Virat Kohli, as he was playing his last T20 tournament as captain. He had previously been awarded the Man of the Tournament twice, the most by any cricketer, and had also scored the most half-centuries in the ICC T20 tournament.

In this tournament, Nitish Reddy stood out as a star player, scoring a half-century in every match and taking at least two wickets in each match. In the finals, he proved to be the hero, taking five wickets and scoring 132 runs off 70 balls, the highest by an Indian or any player in the finals of the ICC T20 series.

Let's take a closer look at each match of the tournament:

Match 1: India vs. Australia In the opening match of the tournament, India faced off against the reigning champions Australia. Nitish Reddy put on an excellent display of all-round cricket, scoring 65 runs off just 42 balls and taking two crucial wickets to help India secure a comfortable victory.

Match 2: India vs. South Africa In their second match, India took on South Africa. Nitish once again played a crucial role, scoring 52 runs off 36 balls and taking three wickets to restrict South Africa to a modest total. India chased down the target with ease, with Nitish hitting the winning runs to seal the victory.

Match 3: India vs. England India faced a stiff challenge in their next match against England, but Nitish rose to the occasion once again. He scored an unbeaten 72 runs off just 39 balls, guiding India to a competitive total. He then took two wickets in his spell to help India win the match by a narrow margin.

Match 4: India vs. Sri Lanka In their final group match, India faced Sri Lanka. Nitish played a winning knock, scoring 60 runs off 32 balls to lead India to a massive total. He also took two wickets to restrict Sri Lanka to a below-par score, helping India win by a comfortable margin.

Semi-Finals: India vs. West Indies India faced a tough challenge in the semi-finals against the defending champions West Indies. Nitish once again proved to be the difference, scoring 64 runs off just 25 balls and taking three wickets to restrict West Indies to a low total. India chased down the target with ease to book their spot in the finals.

Finals: India vs. Pakistan In the highly-anticipated finals against arch-rivals Pakistan, Nitish played the innings of his life. He scored a blistering 132 runs off just 70 balls, hitting 13 fours and 7 sixes, to lead India to a mammoth total of 225 runs. He then took five wickets in his spell to completely demolish the Pakistani batting line-up and secure a historic victory for India.

As Nitish and the rest of the Indian team celebrated their ICC T20 World Cup victory, they couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude towards their captain, Virat Kohli. After all, it was his final tournament as captain, and he had led the team with grace, passion, and determination.

As the team made their way back to the dressing room, Nitish noticed that Virat was lagging behind a bit, perhaps lost in his own thoughts. Nitish went up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Virat, you did it. You brought the trophy home," Nitish said, smiling.

Virat looked up at Nitish and smiled back. "It wasn't just me, Nitish. It was all of us. We did this together."

Nitish nodded. "I know, but you were the one who led us. You inspired us. You gave us the belief that we could do this. And we did."

Virat's eyes shone with pride as he looked around at his teammates, who were all cheering and hugging each other.

Just then, one of the ICC officials came up to them and informed them that they would be receiving a guard of honor from the losing team as they made their way back to the team bus.

Virat and Nitish looked at each other, both feeling a bit overwhelmed by the honor. They had seen this happen before in other tournaments, but they had never experienced it themselves.

As they made their way out onto the field, they saw that the losing team, Pakisthan, was already lined up, ready to give them the guard of honor.

Nitish and Virat walked slowly down the line, feeling a bit emotional as they exchanged handshakes and nods of appreciation with the Pakisthani players.

As they reached the end of the line, Nitish suddenly had an idea. He turned to Virat and said, "I want to carry you on my shoulders, Virat. Let me give you a hero's welcome."

Virat looked a bit taken aback, but he nodded, smiling. "Okay, Nitish. Let's do it."

And so, as the rest of the team watched, Nitish lifted Virat up onto his shoulders and carried him triumphantly down the line of players. The rest of the Indian team cheered and clapped, feeling a deep sense of pride and respect for their captain.

As they made their way back to the team bus, Nitish and Virat continued to talk, laughing and joking about the tournament and the challenges they had faced. They knew that they had accomplished something truly special, something that would be remembered for years to come.

And as they boarded the bus and made their way back to the hotel, Nitish couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude towards Virat. He knew that he had learned so much from him, both as a cricketer and as a person. And he knew that he would always look up to him as a role model and a friend.