Sunil Gavaskar credits MS Dhoni led 2007 T20 World Cup victory for T20 Cricket’s rise in India

T20 is the flavour of cricket in today's times as it is the most popular form of cricket and in 2024 the cricketing world is gearing up for the much-anticipated T20 World Cup 2024. India could be said the hub of T20 cricket as it has the world's most successful T20 cricketing league where almost all the best T20 players from the world play every year. 

Surprisingly T20 cricket was not always so popular in India and the traces of its popularity can be traced back to 2007 when India won the inaugural T20 World Cup which formed the basis of IPL in India and made such a big thing that it has become now. 

Sunil Gavaskar credits MS Dhoni for the popularity of T20 Cricket in India

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, speaking on Star Sports, reflected on the pivotal role played by ex-India skipper MS Dhoni in shaping the emergence of T20 cricket in the country. MS Dhoni's astute leadership led India to a historic victory, marking the beginning of what is fondly remembered as the 'Dhoni era.' Gavaskar, who witnessed the excitement firsthand, reminisced about the thrilling moments and the rise of stars like MSD and Irfan Pathan.

Gavaskar emphasized that the 2007 T20 World Cup was a game-changer for Indian cricket. The win not only ignited a passion for T20 cricket but also laid the foundation for the Indian Premier League (IPL). The craze for the shorter format of the game skyrocketed, with Dhoni's leadership playing a pivotal role in popularizing the format. 

While reminiscing the 2007 T20 World Cup and Dhoni’s contribution to Star Sports Sunil Gavaskar said, “I was present at the 2007 T20 World Cup, and it was one of the most exciting times. I’ve seen MS Dhoni and Irfan Pathan playing on the field and winning for India. Clearly, from there, the craze for T20 boomed in India. Before that, nobody was very well-versed with this format. That win of India helped IPL as well to take off in India.”