India's bowling spearhead
Jasprit Bumrah
, who has been hailed as "once in a generation" bowler by his teammate and batting legend Virat Kohli, said the love that he and the rest of the team have been receiving since winning the
T20 World Cup
is like "living a dream".
Bumrah's outstanding performance in the tournament, which ended with India's win over South Africa in the final on June 29 in Barbados, saw him claim 15 wickets -- most of which came at crucial moments through the tournament.
He played a key role in India's triumph, marking the country's second overall and first world title in the shortest format in 17 years.
In recognition of his performance, Bumrah was honored with the 'Player of the Tournament' award.
"I am so thankful for the last few days. I've been living a dream and it has filled me with happiness and gratitude," Bumrah wrote in a post on microblogging social media platform 'X'. The post accompanied a video of him enjoying the various feliciation ceremonies, including the team's meeting with PM Narendra Modi and the open-top bus parade in Mumbai.
During the felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday after the victory parade, Kohli delivered a speech in which he praised Bumrah's crucial role in India's triumph. The 42-second video clip captured Kohli's words of admiration for the exceptional fast bowler.
In the final, Bumrah and all-rounder Hardik Pandya combined forces to orchestrate a remarkable turnaround for India. The duo was brought back into the attack for their second spell when South Africa required 30 runs from the remaining 30 deliveries. Their game-changing spells ensured that the Proteas ultimately fell short by seven runs.
In his speech, Kohli referred to Bumrah as a "once in a generation" talent, which prompted the gathered crowd to chant the bowler's name in recognition of his outstanding skills and contributions to the team's success.
"What I would like everyone to do is to applaud a guy who brought us back into games again and again and again. It was phenomenal. He is a once in a generation bowler. I am so glad he plays for us," said Kohli, who, along with skipper Rohit Sharma, retired from T20Is after the World Cup victory.
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