India stunned South Africa to secure their second ICC T20 World Cup title with a thrilling seven-run victory at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday.
Early Setbacks and Recovery
After being put to bowl, South Africa started strong by taking three wickets within the Powerplay, including key players Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav. However, India bounced back with a resilient 72-run partnership between Virat Kohli and Axar Patel for the fourth wicket – the highest stand by an Indian pair in a T20 World Cup final.
Axar Patel’s quickfire 47 was followed by Kohli’s 48-ball half-century – the second-slowest among Indian batsmen in T20 finals – finishing on 76. India posted a competitive total of 176/7, marking the highest first-innings score in a T20 World Cup final across nine editions.
South Africa’s Chase Falters
South Africa’s chase encountered difficulties, particularly after losing their fourth wicket at 106. Heinrich Klaasen’s rapid 23-ball half-century, the fastest in any T20 final, brought South Africa close to the target. However, India’s bowling attack turned the tide in the 17th over.
Hardik Pandya dismissed Klaasen for 53, giving away just four runs in his over. Jasprit Bumrah followed with a tight over, conceding only two runs while dismissing Marco Jansen. This left South Africa needing 20 runs from the final two overs. Arshdeep Singh’s spotless penultimate over, which conceded only four runs, left South Africa requiring 16 from the final over.
Final Over Drama
Pandya delivered the decisive blow with the first ball of the last over, dismissing David Miller courtesy of a remarkable catch by Suryakumar Yadav at long-off. Despite Kagiso Rabada hitting a four and a single off the next three deliveries, Pandya held his nerve and dismissed Rabada with the penultimate ball, sealing India’s historic win in Bridgetown.
Historic Achievement
This victory marks India’s first ICC title since their Champions Trophy win in 2013 and their second T20 World Cup trophy since their inaugural win against Pakistan in 2007 in Johannesburg.
Milestone for Rohit Sharma
India’s captain Rohit Sharma became the first skipper to win 50 T20 internationals. This was his second T20 World Cup as captain, having previously led India to the World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup final in 2023, where they finished as runners-up to Australia on both occasions.