India's fielding medal ceremony, which captured significant attention during the ODI World Cup 2023, made a return in a new form. The viewers witnessed the first glimpse of this revamped ceremony after the conclusion of the T20I series on Thursday (December 14) in Johannesburg. The fielding coach of India gathered the entire T20I squad following a convincing 106-run victory in the series-deciding 3rd T20I to announce a change in the customary medal ceremony. The coach informed the team that they would now present the "Impact Fielder of the Series" medal after the conclusion of every series instead of after every game.
During the ceremony, Dilip, the fielding coach, disclosed the nominees for the prestigious medal, including Rinku Singh and Yashasvi Jaiswal, among others. He eventually declared India's emerging pace sensation, Mohammed Siraj, as the winner of the coveted medal. "I have been waiting to get my hands on this medal since the start of the World Cup, and finally, it has come my way. The lesson I have learned during this journey is that one should never give up," expressed Siraj after receiving the medal from the fielding coach.
Notably, India showcased remarkable resilience after losing the second T20I in Gqeberha, bouncing back to outclass South Africa by 106 runs in Johannesburg in the final T20I, preventing a series loss. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav starred with the bat, smashing yet another T20I century and becoming the player to score the joint-most (4) hundreds in the shortest format of the sport, equalling Australia's Glenn Maxwell and compatriot Rohit Sharma.
During South Africa's innings, the India skipper suffered an ankle injury and was assisted off the field by the team physio. He did not return to the field of play, with vice-captain Ravindra Jadeja leading the team in his absence.
