With a seven-run win at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, India stunned South Africa to clinch their second ICC T20 World Cup title.
Within the Powerplay, the Proteas had gotten off to a fine start with three wickets after being asked to bowl, including skipper Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav. With Virat Kohli and Axar Patel putting up a 72-run stand for the fourth wicket, India, however, made a recovery. This partnership was the highest by an Indian pair in a final.
While Axar fell after a quickfire 47, Kohli struck a 48-ball half-century – the second-slowest among Indians – before finishing on 76. However, the Indian team put up a competitive 176/7 total – the highest first-innings score in a final across nine editions.
South Africa’s chase stiffened at the loss of the fourth wicket in the chase at 106, but number five Heinrich Klaasen compiled a 23-ball half-century, the quickest in any final, to charge the team towards the target.
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When Hardik Pandya snapped up Klaasen on 53, India marked a turnaround in the 17th over conceding only four runs. Conceding only two runs while cleaning up Marco Jansen, Jasprit Bumrah followed up with a spellbinding over, leaving South Africa a 20-run deficit. Arshdeep Singh then delivered a spotless over, conceding four runs, leaving South Africa with 16 to get in the final over.
Pandya landed the decisive blow with the first delivery of the over, dismissing David Miller on the back of Suryakumar Yadav’s incredible catch at the long-off boundary. While Kagiso Rabada managed a four and a single off the next three deliveries, Hardik held his nerve and dismissed the left-hander off the penultimate to seal India’s epochal win in Bridgetown.
This is India’s first title since their ICC Champions Trophy win in 2013 and their second T20 World Cup trophy since edging Pakistan by five runs in the inaugural final in Johannesburg in 2007.
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