Pat Cummins said captaining Australia to World Cup title glory was the "pinnacle in cricket" after his side dashed the dreams of tournament hosts India with a six-wicket win in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The final was a personal triumph for Cummins, whose decision to field first was vindicated as India -- the only previously unbeaten team at the tournament after a run of 10 straight wins -- were held to a modest 240 all out. "That's huge, that's the pinnacle in cricket, winning a World Cup, especially here in India, in front of a crowd like this," he said.
It has been a personal and professional rollercoaster for Cummins in 2023. In March, he returned home from a tour of India to be with his mother, Maria, before she died. "I've obviously had a really big year.
I know my family at home is watching, just got a message from dad saying he's had a lot of 4:00 am wake-ups, not going to bed until 4:00 am, so he's as pumped as anything. "You sacrifice a lot to play for Australia and everyone in the team has and we've spent a lot of this year away but we do it for these moments." India star batsman Virat Kohli ended the match having set a new record for most runs -- 765 -- at a single World Cup.