India defeated South Africa by seven runs at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on June 29 to end a 17-year wait for another T20 World Cup trophy, after MS Dhoni led the first triumph at the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2007.
“To all my fellow Indians, the month of June has been special to me and all of us,” Kuldeep posted on microblogging social media platform ‘X’, expressing his gratitude to the fans, who showered unparalleled love by appearing on the streets in lakhs during the team’s victory parade in Mumbai last week.
“Together, we accomplished a dream that we were chasing for long. I would like to thank my teammates, the support staff, media and of course our biggest strength, the fans who kept supporting us throughout the tournament,” Kuldeep further wrote.
The left-arm spinner didn’t get to play in the group-stage matches, which were scheduled in the US. But once the team qualified for the ‘Super 8s’, Kuldeep became a regular feature in the playing eleven on the slow tracks in the Caribbean, replacing paceman Mohammed Siraj.
“I hope we have entertained you all and given you moments of joy that you, your family and friends will cherish with us for a lifetime,” Kuldeep’s post read. “The cup is home guys, we all did it.”
Kuldeep played five matches in India’s eight-match unbeaten run to the trophy. He took 10 wickets with a best of 3 for 19 at an economy rate of 6.95.