In Barbados at the Kensington Oval, India played South Africa in the nail-biting final of the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Both teams entered the match having won all their previous matches making it very much anticipated. But it was India who claimed victory by 7 runs over South Africa, earning them a second T20 World Cup title after a thirteen-year wait.
India’s batting started poorly as they lost three wickets for only 34 runs. However, the “King of cricket” Virat Kohli rose to occasion hitting sixty-seven off fifty-nine balls. His knock brought stability and other batsmen like Hardik Pandya contributed a lot which ended with a total of 176 runs on the board.
South Africa had a good start to their chase but they were met with some extremely good bowling from Indian fast bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah was named Player of Tournament and he had perfect figures of 2-18. In addition, Hardik Pandya bagged three vital wickets that stopped South African surge on crucial occasions.
South Africa’s hope was kept alive by David Miller’s stubborn forty-three runs. However, keeping up with run rate eluded them; losing by seven runs at last. This painful loss marked their first appearance in men’s World cup finals thus leaving them tasting bitterness of defeat.
For Indian cricket, the win was a moment to remember. Captain Rohit Sharma who seemed set to retire hoisted the treasured trophy and it was a fitting conclusion to his illustrious career. It was a personal redemption for Virat Kohli after this victory which silenced his critics in this match-winning knock.
The 2024 T20 World Cup final will be remembered as much for its high-octane drama as it will for some exceptional individual performances. India’s triumph showed how resilient and experienced they are when it comes to dealing with high-pressure situations while South Africa can be proud of their commendable run throughout the tournament.
