India become T20 World champions, beat South Africa by 7-run in a thriller at Barbados

Rohit Sharma waltzes his way to the dias to receive the trophy from BCCI secretary Jay Shah and ICC chairman Greg Barclay, as the Indians finally lift an ICC trophy after a decade of heartbreaks!

Kohli later hands the trophy to coach Rahul Dravid, and boy is ‘The Wall’ animated with the trophy in hands hands! He had never won a World Cup as a player, but has delivered one for the country in his final assignment as head coach! What a way for him to sign off from the job! And what a way for Kohli to retire from T20Is!

Spare a thought for the Proteas. After finally conquering the World Cup semi-final hurdle, they put up an incredible fight in the summit clash against India and nearly pulled off what would have been the greatest victory in the history of South African cricket. In the end, it was not to be in Barbados but South Africa can be proud of the fight that they put up in this World Cup and will be a lot more confident in the next T20 World Cup that takes place just two years from now.

Harbhajan Singh, who had won the inaugural edition in 2007 along with Rohit, reacts to India’s victory!

YEH MERA INDIA 🇮🇳 WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS. SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 @BCCI pic.twitter.com/VNrFjVh9QQ

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) June 29, 2024

Jasprit Bumrah is the Player of the Tournament for his 15 wickets at an average of 8.26!

“I tried to keep calm. We play the sport for this, I am really over the moon, my son is here, family is here, we’ve been working really hard towards this, no better feeling than that. We play sport for the big stages. On the big day, you have to give more, throughout the tournament I felt very clear and calm. At my peak mindset I think of one ball at a time. The emotions can take over, but now the job is done.”

Virat Kohli is the Player of the Match for his knock of 76 off 59 balls!

“This was my last T20 World Cup, and this is what we wanted to achieve. One day you feel you can’t get a run, then things happen. God is great, and I got the job done for the team on the day it mattered. Now or never, last T20 for India, wanted to make the most of it.”

After 20 overs, South Africa 169/8 (Keshav Maharaj 2, Anrich Norje 1)

What a turn of events in Barbados! South Africa were staring at the prospect of cruising to victory at 151/4 at the end of the 16th over, needing just 26 more to win off 24 balls with a well-set Heinrich Klaasen at the crease. Pandya’s dismissal of Heinrich Klaasen at the start of the 17th proved to be a game-changer though, and Miller and the rest of the batters weren’t quite able to finish things off for the Proteas despite having the platform to do so. The Indians conceded just 10 runs in the next three overs while collecting two wickets to bring the equation down to 16 off 6, and Pandya finished off with a heroic final over to help India end their long drought! And let’s not forget SKY grabbing a screamer at long off to dismiss Miller at the start of the final over. Had it not been for his effort, it could have ended very differently for the Men in Blue!

The Indians are in tears at the centre just as it begins pouring at the Kensington Oval! Pandya’s positively bawling at the centre — and why shouldn’t he, after what he went through in the last couple of months!

19.5 overs: OUT! KG holes out to SKY at long off as Pandya strikes in the penultimate ball of the match! That should be the final nail in the coffin for the Proteas! SA 168/8; need 9 off 1

Rabada c SKY b Pandya 4(3)

19.1 overs: OUT! Suryakumar Yadav pulls off a blinder of a catch at the edge of the straight boundary after Miller sends the ball high in the air off a full toss from Pandya! SA 161/7; need 16 off 5

Miller c SKY b Pandya 21(17)

After 19 overs, South Africa 161/6 (David Miller 21, Keshav Maharaj 2)

Arshdeep bowls out the crucial 19th! Starts off with a couple of dots before Maharaj gets off strike with a single in the third ball. Miller guides the ball towardsd deep midwicket, and comes back for a second. He squeezes out a yorker from Arshdeep for a single before Arshdeep signs off with a dot, finishing with figures of 2/20. South Africa need 16 to win off 6, and it will be David Miiller who will be on strike in the following over!

After 18 overs, South Africa 157/6 (David Miller 18, Keshav Maharaj 1)

BOWLED! Bumrah strikes in his final over of the day, though it’s not the batter the Men in Blue were hoping to see the back of! Breaches Marco Jansen’s defence with an inswinger that crashes into the stumps! South Africa are six-down now and things just got a lot more interesting in Barbados! Bumrah signs off with brilliant figures of 2/18 from four, with South Africa needing 20 to win off 12. David Miller can finish the game in one over from here, and it is his wicket that the Indians will be desperate to get!

Jansen b Bumrah 2(4)

OUT! Huge wicket for the Men in Blue as Hardik Pandya gets Heinrich Klaasen caught-behind right after the latter brings up his half-century in just 23 deliveries! The Proteas were looking to canter their way past the finish line but this wicket comes as a silver lining for them. SA 151/5 in 16.1

Klaasen c Pant b Pandya 52(27)

After 16 overs, South Africa 151/4 (Heinrich Klaasen 52, David Miller 15)

FIFTY up for Heinrich Klaasen in just 23 deliveries, bringing up the milestone with a brace off Bumrah in the 16th over! Rohit, meanwhile, turns to his most trusted option and the Indian pace spearhead manages to keep things tidy in his third. The 150 also comes up for the Proteas, who need 26 more to win off 24.

After 15 overs, South Africa 147/4 (Heinrich Klaasen 49, David Miller 14)

MASSIVE OVER FOR THE PROTEAS! Axar goes for 24 in his final over to sign off with figures of 1/49 as Klaasen smashes him for three fours and a mighty six over deep midwicket, wtih the ball landing on the Kensington Oval roof for the third time today! Is this the over that seals the fate of the final? South Africa need just 30 more to win from 30!

After 14 overs, South Africa 123/4 (Heinrich Klaasen 27, David Miller 14)

FOUR! SIX! David Miller tees off in the last two balls of the 14th over, cutting a slightly short ball from Kuldeep in front of square for a four before pulling a flat delivery over the midwicket fence for a maximum in the final ball of the over! Kuldeep signs off wicketless for 45 runs, with 22 runs coming in the last two for the Proteas. South Africa need 54 to win off 36!

OUT! De Kock had pulled the previous delivery towards fine leg for a one-bounce four off Arshdeep! Rohit places Kuldeep in that direction and QdK predictably pulls another short ball in that direction, this time getting caught to depart for 39! Massive wicket for the Men in Blue! SA 106/4

De Kock c Kuldeep b Arshdeep 39(31)

After 12 overs, South Africa 101/3 (Quinton de Kock 35, Heinrich Klaasen 23)

Klaasen continues to attack the Indian spinners, who had tormented opposition batting lineups throughout the Caribbean leg of their campaign. Gets one in the slot from Jadeja in the third ball after the drinks interval and smashes it over long off. Kuldeep bowls slightly short outside off and Klaasen goes inside out over extra cover, getting enough power on the shot to clear the fence. 20 from the last two overs. South Africa go past 100, needing another 76 to win off 48.

After 10 overs, South Africa 81/3 (Quinton de Kock 30, Heinrich Klaasen 8)

The Proteas reach 81/3 at the halfway stage, with drinks being brought to the field at the end of the 10th over. Axar’s smashed for a six by Stubbs at the start of the ninth, with the latter slog-sweeping towards deep midwicket off a flat delivery from Axar, before getting castled later in the over. Hardik Pandya’s introduced in the next over, and new batter Heinrich Klaasen smashes the ball inside out over cover for a maximum.

South Africa need 96 to win from 60 balls with seven wickets in hand. The game could swing in either direction in the second half of the chase. The next three-four overs could end up becoming match-defining!

BOWLED! Axar with the breakthrough as Stubbs misses a loopy full delivery from the left-arm spinner that’s almost a full toss, resulting in his off-stump getting rattled! Stubbs had shuffled a long way to his right for the slog-sweep, and paid the price after failing to connect. A much-needed strike for the Indians close to the halfway stage. SA 70/3

Stubbs b Axar 31(21)

After 8 overs, South Africa 62/2 (Quinton de Kock 28, Tristan Stubbs 24)

De Kock continue to attack the spinners after the conclusion of the powerplay. Stubbs executes a slog-sweep off a full delivery from Axar to guide the ball towards the midwicket fence in the third delivery of the seventh over. Stubbs then drives an overpitched delivery from Kuldeep down the ground for two fours in as many overs. SIX! Second time the ball’s landed on the Kensington Oval roof today, this time off de Kock’s bat as the southpaw brings up fifty of the partnership with a monster hit over deep midwicket off Kuldeep’s bowling! Kuldeep goes for 13 in his second over. South Africa have made a nice recovery after losing two early wickets.

After 6 overs, South Africa 42/2 (Quinton de Kock 20, Tristan Stubbs 12)

Spin from both ends now with Kuldeep Yadav replacing Jasprit Bumrah. Stubbs collects a couple of doubles in the second and third deliveries before De Kock plays a cut that sends the ball racing away towards the backward point fence. 10 from the over, South Africa reach 42/2 at the end of the powerplay. Good recovery by de Kock and Stubbs as the Proteas recover from a shaky start.

After 5 overs, South Africa 32/2 (Quinton de Kock 15, Tristan Stubbs 7)

Spin’s introduced for the first time in the fifth over with Axar Patel replacing Arshdeep. He’s off to an expensive start, conceding 10 with Stubbs and de Kock collecting a boundary each! Stubbs plays a late cut the guide the ball behind point while de Kock slaps a half-tracker over cover in the penultimate delivery of the over.

After 4 overs, South Africa 22/2 (Quinton de Kock 10, Tristan Stubbs 2)

FOUR! De Kock takes the attack to Bumrah, collecting a boundary off the premier bowler by steering the bal between slip and short third man at the start of the fourth over! Follows it up with a brace after driving towards extra cover. Eight off Bumrah’s second.

After 3 overs, South Africa 14/2 (Quinton de Kock 3, Tristan Stubbs 1)

OUT! And now it’s Arshdeep’s turn to strike as Proteas skipper Markram pokes at a wide delivery outside off, only to get a nick off the toe-end of the bat, leading to Pant diving to his right to complete the catch! South Africa in trouble just like India were in their powerplay, losing two wickets with less than 20 on the board!

Markram c Pant b Arshdeep 4(5)

After 2 overs, South Africa 11/1 (Quinton de Kock 1, Aiden Markram (c) 4)

BOWLED! Bumrah strikes in his first over, castling Hendricks with an away-swinger that clips the top of the off-stump as India strike as early as the second over of the chase! There was precious little Hendricks could’ve done about this delivery. The ball pitched along middle and Hendricks was looking to defend it, only to get beaten completely! Skipper Aiden Markram makes his way to the centre and starts off with a boundary first ball, punching a length ball behind point. Five runs and a wicket from the second over.

Hendricks b Bumrah 4(5)

After 1 over, South Africa 6/0 (Reeza Hendricks 4, Quinton de Kock 1)

FOUR! Hendricks spoils what was turning out to be a superb first over from Arshdeep, with Hendricks steering a full, wide delivery from the left-arm seamer behind point! Hendricks had nicked the ball in the second delivery, but the ball had landed just short of keeper Pant. A leg bye and a single are added to the scoreboard before the boundary.

Time for the chase in Barbados! Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks make their way out to the centre, the latter taking strike for the first delivery! The Indians too with start with left-arm pace with Arshdeep Singh bowling the first over.

The Proteas need a strong opening partnership to build confidence for what will be a tricky chase. A couple of early wickets for the Men in Blue on the other hand, will put them in the driver’s seat.

After 20 overs, India 176/7 (Hardik Pandya 5, Ravindra Jadeja 2)

OUT! Ravindra Jadeja is dismissed in the final ball of the innings, skying the ball towards mid off where Keshav Maharaj puts in a slide to complete a fine catch as India post 176/7 after opting to bat! Nortje does well to deny the Men in Blue the chance to breach 180 for the second time in as many matches at this venue. Concedes nine in the final over along with two wickets, with Dube crunching the ball towards long on for a four in the third delivery.

Jadeja c Maharaj b Nortje 2(2)

OUT! Shivam Dube’s handy little innings finally comes to an end thanks to a fine catch by David Miller at long off! Was a low full toss from Anrich Nortje that he had hoped to smash all the over for a maximum, but was a flat hit in the end. IND 174/6 in 19.4

Dube c Miller b Nortje 27(16)

OUT! Virat Kohli’s stay at the crease finally comes to an end as he holes out to the man at long on while trying to smash Marco Jansen for a six for the second time in the 19th over! Hardly got any timing on the back-of-length ball after smashing the previous one onto the roof beyond midwicket, which led to the umpires bringing out a different ball. Easy enough catch for KG Rabada! IND 163/5

Kohli c Rabada b Jansen 76(59)

After 18 overs, India 150/4 (Virat Kohli 64, Shivam Dube 22)

Eight off Nortje’s third over, including a boundary to Dube in the final delivery as he shuffles to his left to carve the ball behind point!

Rabada proves expensive in the following over, leaking 16 in his final over of the day to sign off with figures of 1/36. Kohli muscles a length ball over long on at the start of the over and follows it up wtih a pull towards the vacant backward square leg fence for a four, picking a slower ball perfectly. The 150 comes up for India at the end of the 18th. India will hope to finish big in the last two.

After 16 overs, India 126/4 (Virat Kohli 48, Shivam Dube 15)

SIX! Smashed down the ground by Dube, who like Kohli is under pressure after a series of flops! Was a slower delivery from Jansen and the southpaw got hold of it nicely to muscle it down the ground! Four singles collected in the remaining deliveries, with 10 coming off Jansen’s third. Shamsi returns in the subsequent over and gets one to turn sharply in the second delivery, beating Dube after pitching along middle. That should interest the Indian spinners, especially Kuldeep Yadav! FOUR! Out comes the slog sweep as Dube hits the ball flat towards deep midwicket off Shamsi! Eight off the spinner’s over. India have 126 on the board with four overs left. They’ll need to go big in the slog overs if they are to get close to 180!