India emerge as T20 World Cup 2024 champions after braving past South Africa in nail-biting thriller

After 17 years of lifting their maiden T20 World Cup, after 13 years of lifting their last World Cup and after 11 years of lifting the last ICC Trophy, Team India returned to the podium with one of the grandest of finishes as they edged past South Africa in a topsy-turvy thriller to become the champions of the world.

Winning the toss, India opted to bat first and they fielded an unchanged XI from the semis. The two openers, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli arrived in the center and the start was exactly what billions of people expected. Kohli hammered Marco Jansen to set up the tone of the play in the very first over as Team India plundered 15 runs off it.

Rohit Sharma did start the second over on an equally radiant note, eking out a couple of fours before Keshav Maharaj broke the partnership against the tremendous run of play. To make matters worse, Rishabh Pant fell in the same over as India’s flying juggernaut was pulled down to the ground and thrown into a mud pit.

They lost another wheel in no time as Suryakumar Yadav was back to the hut as well, reducing India to 34/3. With Kohli stranded at the other end and Axar Patel joining him in the center, India needed a revamp. It was the latter who decided to step in the shoes of an aggressor while Kohli was happy to play second fiddle.

Once the ship was stabilized, Axar Patel changed gears while Kohli anchored the other end strongly. The duo added 72 runs for the fourth wicket before an electric direct hit from Quinton de Kock saw the back of Axar who blasted an excellent 31-ball-47.

Shivam Dube was the new batter at the crease and India seemed well-poised to go for the big finish with Kohli in the center. Kohli started accelerating towards the business end of the innings and even before South Africa could realize what had struck them, the former Indian captain spread his wings all over the Proteas, eclipsing them once and for all.

Kohli eventually got out for 76 off 59, a knock that would win him the Player of the Match for the final. Thanks to Virat, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube’s persistence and salvo, as India piled up 176/7 at the end of their 20 overs.

With an objective of shooting down the highest ever total in the history of T20 World Cup finals, South Africa started off with a limp. Jasprit Bumrah cannoned one through the castle of Reeza Hendricks (4) while Arshdeep Singh struck in quick succession to remove Aiden Markram as South Africa felt the heat.

Despite being reduced to 12/2, South Africa managed to find their foothold, courtesy of Tristan Stubbs (31) and Quinton de Kock (39). It was Stubbs’ IPL teammate, Axar Patel, who managed to break the all-important partnership as he pegged back the former’s off-stump.

With the scorecard reading 70/3, Heinrich Klaasen walked out and it was the hard-hitting right-hander who completely changed the momentum of the game. South Africa looked truly in control until India managed to find another breakthrough as Quinton de Kock was caught at deep fine after falling for the bait offered by Arshdeep for a well-orchestrated 39.

In walked David Miller and the experience quotient for South Africa in the center simply skyrocketed. While Miller and Klaasen batted, India was being muscled out of the game, figuratively and literally as well. The duo piled up 46 runs for the fourth wicket from just 22 balls, leaving India gasping for breath.

Klaasen was batting on 52 from just 26 balls while Miller protected the other end. Rishabh Pant needed a bit of medical attention that allowed a couple of extra minutes to be taken. The very next ball, frustrated and famished for more, trying to keep the momentum alive, Klaasen swung his blade at a ball that was going away from him and Rishabh Pant made no mistake in taking a sitter as the entire Barbados leapt in delirious frenzy.

The fall of Klaasen proved to be the turning point as India suddenly tightened the vise around the Proteas’ neck. Jasprit Bumrah’s return to the attack prized out another miserly over which also featured the big wicket of a hard-hitting Marco Jansen who was undone by an inswinger.

However, with Miller still in the center and 16 needed off the last six, Pandya stepped up. The very first ball was almost a half-volley and Miller went swinging after it. Suryakumar Yadav’s mind-boggling grab at long-off only centimeters away from the boundary line that would have put the words ‘flexibility’ and ‘awareness’ to the sternest of tests, sent Miller back to the pavilion while pushing South Africa off the edge.

Despite a fortunate edge that saw the ball trickle off to the ropes from Rabada’s bat, Pandya bowled a brilliant final over to hold onto his nerves as Team India emerged victorious by seven runs to wash away a long-standing drought. Kohli was the Player of the Match while Jasprit Bumrah won the Player of the Tournament award.