India's World Cup win has ignited hope among young cricketers: ACA official

Guwahati: India's historic triumph in the latest iteration of the T20 World Cup co-hosted by the US and West Indies "has ignited a new wave of hope among young cricketers" in Assam, a senior official of the state cricket body asserted, adding that the massive prize pool for the winners has served to uplift motivation even more.

During a conversation with Business North East, executive member of the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Javed Akhtar said, "This year, the event's enormous importance has been by underscoring its historical significance and the significant rewards for participants. This year's T20 World Cup has a prize pool of around Rs 94 crore approximately, showing a notable rise from past championships."

"Under the leadership of captain Rohit Sharma, the Indian team won the highest prize ever given in the history of the tournament, which amounted to Rs 20.42 crore," Akhtar added. India, champions of the 2024 tournament, achieved victory following a fierce showdown with South Africa last weekend. 

South Africa, the second-place finishers, was awarded a respectable prize of Rs 10.6 crores, while the semifinalists, England and Afghanistan, received Rs 6.56 crore each. Each team that was eliminated before the third round was given around Rs 3.19 crore.

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 shown worldwide by Disney Star, the official media rights holder, attracted millions of cricket fans around the globe. Disney Star expected $2.2 billion in advertising revenue.

"T20 victory has ignited a new wave of hope among young cricketers," Akhtar said. "This achievement highlights national pride and unity, encouraging young cricketers to strive for excellence while representing their nation with pride."

Celebrations culminated at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Maharashtra on Thursday. According to media reports, some 300,000 supporters gathered to catch a glimpse of their World Cup heroes, who took part in a victory parade atop an open bus. However, many supporters were injured during the celebrations. Earlier in the day, the team met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence for breakfast.

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