India’s World Twenty20 triumph sowed the seeds for a revolution of mind-boggling proportions
A decade ago on this date, S. Sreesanth waited for Misbah-Ul-Haq’s miscued shot to descend into his palms at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. It was the final tipping point of a well-fought summit clash between India and Pakistan. As the crowd twitched nervously, the catch was taken and the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 title belonged to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men.
Thinking differently
The five-run win added ballast, mortar and stardust to the evolving legendary status of Dhoni. Sporting a long mane then, unlike the crew-cut he has now, the great player from Ranchi is also remembered for two acts on that rousing night.
One showed ingenuity as he gave the last over to an unsung Joginder Sharma, the second displayed spontaneity as he gifted his t-shirt to an eager fan. The blend of stupendous deeds and simple acts that defines Dhoni continues to this day.
If the 1983 World Cup triumph at Lord’s galvanised cricket in India, making it the most popular sport from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and also lent it commercial heft, the after-effects of the 2007 victory were felt on a larger scale.
Until that seminal moment, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remained ambivalent towards Twenty20s. Even the squad that Dhoni helmed was made conspicuous by the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid as the big-three preferred to rest. Their slots came in handy for some youngsters like Rohit Sharma to strike root.
At a certain level, Twenty20 and its premier global tournament were seen as a diversion. But once Dhoni seized the cup and cricket’s shortest format showed that it was high on adrenaline and had the potential to widen its demographic base, the BCCI could no longer deny its worth.
There was also the need to deal with a rebel entity — the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Once the Men in Blue covered themselves in glory in South Africa, the BCCI saw an opportunity in Twenty20s and found the necessary encouragement to launch the Indian Premier League in 2008.
Shape-shifting
Perhaps there was an underlying quest for revenge too as the IPL cannibalised the ICL. In the history of abridged cricket, the IPL’s inception was as shape-shifting as the World Series engineered by Kerry Packer in Australia from 1977 to 79.
The IPL and its clones rained money and forced players into the dilemma that most international footballers suffer from — club or country? Starting with Chris Gayle, freelance-cricketers sprung overnight.
But that was the least of the game’s headaches as the IPL’s spot-fixing crisis in 2013 where allegations surfaced against Sreesanth and company, and which also showed a few franchise owners in poor light, flung a dagger into Indian cricket’s heart. The healing touch was subsequently sought from the Supreme Court but the repercussions are still being felt.
The 2007 ICC World Twenty20 remains an incredible milestone for Indian cricket.
The pleasure-points ranged from the staggering six sixes that Yuvraj Singh struck against England’s Stuart Broad to the sheer joy that Dhoni’s men gifted to their followers.
Yet, in all this nostalgia, it would be prudent to remember that it also sowed the seeds for the Twenty20 revolution which mixed mind-boggling commerce with slivers of corruption. But for now, it is time to raise a toast to all the men who made it a day to remember at Johannesburg.
