The year 2024 has been nothing but exceptional in Indian sports as players of different genres gave performances that captured the imagination of the masses. Whether it was grand international performances or in-between events that changed records, the year showed that India’s ascendancy on the world stage continues. India’s players took their game to cricket, sports, tennis or chess and won medals and trophies that will be cherished for generations.
The country had a world-historic T20 World Cup win, a most successful Paralympic performance, and some historic successes in chess, tennis and sport. For a retrospective on 2024, here are some of the biggest sporting triumphs which have made this year unforgettable for India.
T20 World Cup win (17 years)
India in an icing on the cake took home their second T20 World Cup trophy after 17 years in a gruelling finale. India were surprisingly strong when under pressure and dispatched South Africa by seven wickets in Barbados. Virat Kohli knocked in 76 runs in India’s 176/7 score in the match after the visitors batted first.
But it was India’s bowling side — under the command of Jasprit Bumrah’s steady form and Hardik Pandya’s brilliant innings in the extreme circumstances — that gave them the victory. Hardik’s 3-20 limited South Africa to 169/8 — even with Heinrich Klaasen’s scorching 52.
The victory ended an 11-year ICC trophy silence for India and, Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20 international cricket, was a personal sideline to the triumph. It was also the last tournament in which India Head Coach Rahul Dravid played as he is replaced by Gautam Gambhir.
India was undefeated during the tournament and beat arch rivals Pakistan, USA, Ireland and Canada in the group stages and Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Australia in the Super Eights. India overcame England in the semi-final to remain unbeaten.
India at Olympics: A silver and 5 bronze
It won six medals in the Paris Olympics of 2024, a silver and five bronze. The best athlete was defending Tokyo Olympic javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra, who finished second in a season’s best throw of 89.45m but just missed gold to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem.
Similarly, Manu Bhaker was also the first Indian to win two medals at the same Olympic Games winning bronze in both women’s 10m air pistol and mixed 10m air pistol. But also, the Indian men’s hockey team had the honour of taking a bronze medal and carrying forward India’s hockey tradition.
The bronze medal was also a fitting end to the career of goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who had stood tall in front of goal for decades on the men’s hockey team. From bronze medallists Swapnil Kusale (Shooting), Aman Sehrawat (Wrestling) and Sarabjot Singh (Shooting), the 2024 Olympics proved that India is a rising sporting power in the world.
The first-ever Paralympic appearance of Avani Lekhara
It was the first time a woman from India has won two Paralympic golds, as Avani Lekhara. Her women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 victory came with a world record, and made her one of the most successful Indian athletes in Paralympic history.
Indian sports also had a successful 2024 Games as India scored the best ever performance at the Games. India won 29 medals including seven gold, nine silver and 13 bronze compared to its record of 19 at Tokyo 2020 Games.
Earlier, India had also gone down to a historic one-two in athletics in the men’s club throw F51 with Dharambir and Parnav Soorma scoring gold and silver respectively. There was Sumit Antil, Mariyappan Thangavelu and Sheetal Devi as well, who have left their names.
Rohan Bopanna’s Australian Open triumph
And then, in 2024, Bopanna won the men’s doubles title at the Australian Open. The age of Bopanna (43 years old) was the oldest to reach World No. No 1 men’s doubles; together with Australia’s Matthew Ebden, Bopanna dispatched Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-6(0), 7-5 to claim the coveted Grand Slam title.
Bopanna had won one Grand Slam, but never men’s doubles; his previous best was reaching the final of the US Open twice in 2010 and 2023. In his victory at Melbourne’s historic Rod Laver Arena, he was not only the oldest player to reach World No. ranked 1 and proved that you don’t need to be old to make it in the pro ranks.
Olympiad medal and Gukesh’s Chess World Champion title
The rise of India stayed on the ascendant, with another triumph in Budapest at the Chess Olympiad in 2024. Both men’s and women’s teams won gold in their respective age groups ensuring India’s control over the sport.
This was a notable win in light of India’s recent showing at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Mamallapuram, where it has won bronze in both categories.
Earlier this month, the 18-year-old kid D Gukesh became the youngest ever World Chess Champion, which had long been held by Garry Kasparov. Gukesh’s victory in the 14th round of the World Chess Championship over China’s Ding Liren was a dramatic one: he was playing like his mentor Viswanathan Anand.
Indian Women’s Table Tennis Team becomes History
The Indian women table tennis team also won the first medal of the Asian Table Tennis Championships (ATC) in women’s team event for the country in 2024 since its establishment in 1972.
The group Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, Ayhika Mukherjee, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Diya Chitale contested in Kazakhstan won bronze after an heroic semifinal performance.
Puja Tomar’s UFC victory
Puja Tomar won his first fight at the UFC, an Indian mixed martial arts event that set the history for Indian mixed martial arts. The 30-year-old scored split decision wins over Brazil’s Rayanne dos Santos and Danilo Pereira in an exciting strawweight fight (30-27, 27-30, 29-28). Tomar’s victory was a first for Indian athletes on the world stage of combat sport: the UFC.
Her triumph taught the world that Indian fighters can win in mixed martial arts at the very top. Tomar, who had signed with the UFC in 2023, gave her victory to all the Indians and fighters.