India won a T20 World Cup Final for the ages against South Africa thanks to some late fireworks with the bat from Virat Kohli, coupled with some fine death bowling.
The Proteas were beaten by seven runs in a thrilling finale in Bridgetown, Barbados, despite, Heinrich Klaasen thrashing the fastest half-century in T20 World Cup Final history from just 23 balls.
After winning the toss, India recovered from the early loss of skipper Rohit Sharma and falling to 34-3 in the fifth over to go through the gears late on to post an imposing 176-7.
Kohli bided his time but eventually scored more runs in one innings (76) than in his first seven knocks combined at this World Cup while Axar Patel played a pivotal counterattacking role before being run out at the non-striker’s end for a quickfire 47. Shivam Dube contributed a breezy 27 from 16 balls late-on.
South Africa also lost two early wickets in their reply while Quinton de Kock hung around a’la Kohli for his 39.
The difference in intent from Tristan Stubbs (31 from 21 balls) and especially Klaasen, who made 52 from 27 balls with five sixes, made their side favourites with only 30 runs required for victory from the final 30 deliveries.
However Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya held their nerve with the ball and Suryakumar Yadav held a stunning last-over catch to crush the Proteas hopes and ensure India’s second title and first for 17 years.
The wait of 17 years comes to an end 🇮🇳
India win their second #T20WORLDCUP trophy 🏆 PIC.TWITTER.COM/Z35Z54ZQLI
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) JUNE 29, 2024
Explosive start from skipper
Rohit Sharma made an explosive start and India took 15 from the opening over but he went for one shot too many and holed out to Heinrich Klaasen at square leg off Keshav Maharaj for just nine in the second over.
Rishabh Pant followed him back to the hutch two balls later, top-edging an attempted sweep to Quinton de Kock for a duck.
A spell of 5-2 over 13 deliveries turned the tide after the fast start and then Kagiso Rabada turned the screw as he ousted Suryakumar Yadav who was caught by Klaasen at deep square leg for just three.
Axar Patel was promoted to come in at five and whipped his first ball away for four but his side were 45-3 at the end of the powerplay with offspinner Aiden Markram bowling the final over and conceding just six singles.
Axar hit back with the first six of the day off Markram and followed it up with another off Maharaj in the ninth over, all the while Kohli was ticking along at just better than a run a ball. His first five balls yielded 14 runs while the next 24 brought just 22 more.
India were 75-3 at the midway point but Axar continued to counterattack with another six off Tabraz Shamsi, who gave up 11 runs off the 12th over, and then a straight drive for another maximum off Rabada to start the 14th over and take him past Kohli’s score.
Three balls later he was gone, for 47 from 31 balls, he set off for a quick single but Kohli had his back to him and by the time he regained his ground his stumps had been rearranged by the throw of De Kock.
Shivram Dube took over the six-hitting duties with a monster blow off Jansen, but through he managed to find the ropes, Kohli continued to deal in singles and brought up his 50 from 48 balls late in the 17th over, though his most recent boundary came more than 13 overs earlier.
He ended that run with a six over long-on off Rabada at the start of the 18th and ended up taking 14 of the 16 runs off that 18th over himself.
Marco Jansen was given some tap in the penultimate over with 13 runs coming from the first four balls, including a Kohli six over midwicket, however he departed from the next ball, holing out to Rabada in the deep for 76 from 59 balls.
Hardik Pandya top-edged his first ball for four to complete the 17-run over before Anrich Nortje claimed two wickets from the final three deliveries, having Dube caught by Miller in the deep for 27 and then Ravindra Jadeja caught by Maharaj off a leading edge as India scrambled their way to 176-7.
South Africans make slow start in powerplay
The Proteas made a stuttering start to their chase as only seven runs came from the opening eight balls before Jasprit Bumrah produced a pearler to beat the edge of Reeza Hendrick’s forward defensive stroke and clatter the top of off stump.
Markram hit his first delivery for four but departed four balls later without adding to his score, edging to the keeper off Arshdeep Singh to leave his side 12-2 in the third over.
After a quiet start de Kock came to life and found the fence three times but the South Africans were only 42-2 at the end of the power play.
The dual spin of Axar and Kuldeep Yadav were targeted to try and keep the required run-rate from getting out of hand, but after hitting his first six off Axar, Stubbs fell to his Delhi Capitals teammate as he missed an attempted sweep and saw his leg stump clattered, departing for 31 off 21.
Heinrich Klaasen picked up an early six off Hardik and South Africa were 81-3 at the midway point before another maximum came off Jadeja and a sublime stroke for six followed off Kuldeep as Proteas fans began to see the finishing line in sight.
However, having played himself in nicely, de Kock got himself out avoidably in the 13th over, sending Arshdeep straight down the throat of Kuldeep who had been moved back from fine leg to the rope after the previous delivery had been dispatched there by de Kock, who finished with 39 from 31 balls.
David Miller carted Kuldeep for a four and a six from the final two balls of his spell, going for 45 from his four overs in total.
Axar proved even more expensive, 24 runs came from his final over, 22 of them to Klaasen, who brought up his half-century from 23 balls with five sixes and two fours.
Bumrah returned to bowl the 16th over, going for only four runs, with 26 needed from the final 24 deliveries.
India wrestled back the initiative as Hardik found the edge of Klaasen’s bat from a slower ball to depart for 52 from 27 balls to start the 17th over.
22 were required from the final three overs but Rohit opted to give Bumrah the 18th for his final over and he made the most of it as he blasted out Jansen through the gate, who made two from four balls, and conceded only two from his six deliveries.
Arshdeep bowled the penultimate over, giving up only four, and leaving the Proteas needing to find 16 runs to win from the final over off Hardik.
David Miller departed for 21 to the first ball of it, ousted by a superb juggling catch by Yadav just inside the rope.
The game looked up but Rabada edged the next ball for four and with rain clouds gathering, Rabada ran a quick bye from ball three to keep hope alive.
A single from Maharaja left his side needing boundaries from the final two balls but Rabada holed-out to Yadav from the penultimate delivery as the Indian fans started the celebrations.
