In a heart-stopping finale at the Kensington Oval, India triumphed over South Africa by seven runs to clinch the T20 World Cup 2024 title on Saturday.
This victory marks India's first ICC trophy since 2013, placing them alongside England and the West Indies as two-time T20 World Cup champions, having previously won the inaugural title in 2007 by defeating Pakistan.
In a match that swung like a pendulum, India seemed destined for defeat until Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya produced game-changing performances in the 16th and 17th overs. South Africa, who had looked set to chase down the target, were left stunned by India's unyielding spirit and strategic brilliance in the death overs.
Chasing a challenging target, South Africa faced early setbacks, losing Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram. However, a solid 68-run partnership between Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs revived their hopes. The momentum seemed firmly in South Africa's favor as Heinrich Klaasen launched a blistering attack on Axar Patel, smashing 22 runs in the 15th over and putting the Proteas in the driver's seat.
The turning point came when Pandya dismissed Klaasen, who was on 52, sparking a collapse. Needing 16 runs in the final over, South Africa's hopes were dashed as Pandya removed David Miller with the first ball, thanks to a stunning catch by Suryakumar Yadav. South Africa's innings concluded at 169-8, falling agonizingly short of the target. Pandya's three wickets, coupled with crucial contributions from Arshdeep Singh, Bumrah, and Patel, sealed the victory for India.
Earlier, India set a formidable total, largely due to Virat Kohli's masterful 76 off 59 balls, which included six fours and two sixes. India started aggressively, with Kohli striking three boundaries off Marco Jansen in the first over. Rohit Sharma continued the onslaught but was soon dismissed by Keshav Maharaj, who also claimed Rishabh Pant in the same over.
At 34-3 in 4.3 overs, India faced a potential collapse, but a crucial 72-run partnership between Kohli and Axar Patel steadied the innings. Patel's explosive 47 ended in an unfortunate run-out, but Kohli's persistence saw him reach a half-century off 48 balls, his slowest in T20Is. Kohli then accelerated before falling to Jansen. Shivam Dube added a quickfire 27 off 16 balls, contributing to India's competitive total. For South Africa, Maharaj and Anrich Nortje claimed two wickets each, while Kagiso Rabada and Jansen picked up one apiece.
The match was a testament to India's resilience and tactical acumen, culminating in a historic victory that ended a 17-year wait for a T20 World Cup title. As the Indian team celebrated their hard-fought win, cricket fans worldwide hailed the thrilling finale as one of the greatest in T20 history.
Playing XIs: India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (capt), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi.
