Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his country's cricketers Saturday after they won the T20 World Cup in a thrilling final against South Africa, ending an 11-year wait for a world-level title.

"We are proud of the Indian Cricket Team," Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter, adding: "This match was historic."

The prime minister, re-elected earlier this month, watched India lose the ODI World Cup final on home soil in Ahmedabad last year, at the world's biggest cricket stadium -- which is named after him.

In an accompanying video message Saturday, he told the side: "Today, 1.4 billion people are proud because of your spectacular performance.

"You won the World Cup on the ground. But in every village of India, you've won the hearts of people."