India won the T20 Men’s World Cup for the second time with a thrilling victory over South Africa.
Arshdeep Singh rolled the ball back to the bowler in a thrilling finish that caused the Indian squad to go through various emotions. The video showed Hardik Pandya crying excitedly like a child, with Rohit Sharma falling flat on his back and repeatedly slapping his hands on the ground before standing up and shaking his head in shock. The Indian captain cried a little bit too. Support personnel ran to greet the players; Dravid threw an arm around Kohli; the relieved Kohli may have even cried a little.
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On the other hand, the South African camp was awash with skepticism. With his head down, David Miller stood beside the LED border hoardings, unable to believe what had happened. As South Africa was still waiting to shake hands and India was still in celebration mode, Rohit summoned his players for the traditional post-match rites. Mohammed Siraj, too, was crying as he was hugged by an emotional Rohit, who raised his hands in a namaskar, possibly to the sky. These are the times when elite sport is defined.
Match Recap
After winning the toss, India chose to bat first and amassed a respectable 176 runs. With Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant out of the game early on, Virat Kohli spearheaded the attack with his first fifty of the competition. India’s total was strengthened by the important efforts of Shivam Dube and Axar Patel.
In response, Hendricks was outscored brilliantly by Jasprit Bumrah, and Markram was dismissed cheaply, giving South Africa’s innings a rough start. After the powerplay, though, South Africa gained momentum thanks to Tristan Stubbs’ assured play against the spinners. Heinrich Klaasen and Quinton de Kock developed an important alliance despite Stubbs’ firing. Particularly aggressive was Klaasen, who reached 50 off 23 balls and took Axar Patel’s over for 24 runs.
In the final (5) overs, India’s pacers needed to score 30 runs, and they made an incredible recovery. The strain on South Africa increased as Bumrah knocked out Marco Jansen and Hardik Pandya removed Klaasen. With just four runs conceded in a masterful last over from Arshdeep Singh, India won by seven runs thanks to some outstanding bowling from Hardik.
Post-Match Celebrations
Tearful, Rohit Sharma stepped away from the audience for a moment. He looked up, as though he was appreciating a sign from God. Finally, after multiple heartaches and knockout losses, Indian cricket players were able to cry tears of happiness. A tear trickled down the face of Virat Kohli, who has been chasing this trophy since 2009 and is savoring the moment in what could be his final T20I season.
With “Lehra Do” blasting from the speakers, the Indian players paused to acknowledge their accomplishments. India, a country devoted to cricket, is experiencing a single, overwhelming feeling this evening: pure, unadulterated delight.
India vs South Africa T20 World Cup Final Match 2024 Summary:
India Playing XI:
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Virat Kohli
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Shivam Dube
- Hardik Pandya
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Arshdeep Singh
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Jasprit Bumrah
South Africa Playing XI:
- Quinton de Kock (wk)
- Reeza Hendricks
- Aiden Markram (c)
- Tristan Stubbs
- Heinrich Klaasen
- David Miller
- Marco Jansen
- Keshav Maharaj
- Kagiso Rabada
- Anrich Nortje
- Tabraiz Shamsi
Player Of The Match (POTM):
- Virat Kohli IND, 76 (59)
Player Of The Tournament (POTT):
- Jasprit Bumrah (IND)
Top Scorers:
- Virat Kohli IND, 76 (59)
Toss:
- India won the toss and chose to bat first
- Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados