BARBADOS: India clinched the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 title and were crowned the T20 World Cup champions after beating South Africa by seven runs in a closely contested final match at Kensington Oval on Saturday.
India, batting first after winning the toss, set a challenging target of 177 runs for South Africa. Led by Virat Kohli’s masterful 76 off 59 balls, India recovered from early setbacks to post a total of 176/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Kohli’s innings included six fours and two sixes, anchoring India’s innings after losing key wickets early on.
South Africa began their chase aggressively but lost crucial wickets at regular intervals. Jasprit Bumrah made an early breakthrough, dismissing Reeza Hendricks, followed by Arshdeep Singh removing Aiden Markram. Despite these setbacks, Quinton de Kock (39) and Tristan Stubbs (31) provided some resistance, with Stubbs’ departure bringing Heinrich Klaasen to the crease.
Heinrich Klaasen, in a valiant effort, smashed a quickfire 53 off just 32 deliveries, injecting momentum into South Africa’s innings. However, his dismissal proved pivotal, as India’s bowlers tightened the screws in the final overs. Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya played crucial roles, taking key wickets and restricting South Africa to 169/8 in their 20 overs.
India Inning Against South Africa
Earlier, after winning the toss and electing to bat first, star batter Virat Kohli showed magic with the bat as India have set a challenging target of 177 runs for South Africa in the final match.
The match commenced with a flurry of runs in the very first over, setting the tone for India’s intent in the crucial encounter.
India’s innings, however, faced early setbacks as South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj struck twice in quick succession in the second over. Maharaj dismissed the in-form captain Rohit Sharma (9) and Rishabh Pant (0), leaving India reeling at 15/2.
Virat Kohli then anchored the innings alongside Suryakumar Yadav, attempting to stabilize India’s innings. Yet, Yadav’s dismissal for just 3 runs, courtesy of Kagiso Rabada, added pressure with India struggling at 34/3 in 4.3 overs.
The crucial partnership of the innings ensued between Virat Kohli and Axar Patel, who combined forces to resurrect India’s innings. The duo meticulously maneuvered the middle overs, compiling a crucial 72-run stand for the fourth wicket.
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Axar Patel showcased his prowess with a brisk innings of 47 runs off 31 deliveries, which included one boundary and four towering sixes. His inning was cut short by a direct hit from Quinton de Kock, signaling a breakthrough for South Africa.
Virat Kohli, after reaching his half-century, continued to dominate the proceedings with his adept stroke play and astute captaincy. He marshaled the lower order, particularly in a significant fifth-wicket partnership with Shivam Dube, which yielded 57 runs.
Kohli eventually departed in the penultimate over after amassing a crucial 76 runs off 59 deliveries, embellished with six fours and two sixes. His departure marked a pivotal moment in India’s innings, but not before setting a formidable target for South Africa.
Shivam Dube contributed a valuable 27 off 16 balls towards the end before falling to Anrich Nortje in the final over, which bolstered India’s total to 176/7 in their allotted 20 overs.
Emotion. Elation. Joy. 🇮🇳😍#T20WorldCup | #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/n5yFaQVrmV
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) June 29, 2024
For South Africa, Anrich Nortje and Keshav Maharaj emerged as the wicket-taker bowlers with two wickets each, while Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada chipped in with a wicket apiece.
India’s victory marks their second ICC T20 World Cup triumph, having previously won the inaugural edition in 2007 against Pakistan.
Reflecting on the victory, Indian captain Rohit Sharma praised his team’s resilience and strategic approach. “It was a challenging pitch, but we backed our strengths and executed our plans well,” Sharma said. “Virat Kohli’s innings was crucial in setting up a defendable total, and our bowlers did exceptionally well to defend it against a strong South African lineup.”
𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗔 𝗔𝗥𝗘 #𝗧𝟮𝟬𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝗖𝘂𝗽 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 🏆
Jasprit Bumrah's heroics propels 🇮🇳 to clinch a humdinger in Barbados and create history 👏#T20WorldCup | #SAvIND | 📝: https://t.co/LlDSkjClGn pic.twitter.com/EYBxo9rJgj
— ICC (@ICC) June 29, 2024
With this win, India joins England and the West Indies as two-time champions of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
India Playing XI
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
South Africa Playing XI
Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs
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