India won the T20 World Cup 2024 by defeating South Africa with a seven-run margin in an electrifying final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. This makes India only the second team to ever lift the T20 World Cup twice, after England and West Indies—the first time was way back in 2007 against Pakistan.
The final can only be described as a roller-coaster game; South Africa started off poorly in the chase of 176-6 that India had put up. Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram fell early, but the 68-run partnership between Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs kept alive the hopes of South Africa. It was Heinrich Klaasen who, with his firing 22 runs against Axar Patel in the 15th over, made South Africa favorites for the final.
But the fall of Klaasen for 52 runs to Hardik Pandya was the beginning of the end. Jasprit Bumrah and Pandya bowled outstanding overs, the 16th and 17th respectively, which tilted the match in India’s favor. The Proteas needed 16 runs off the last over but David Miller’s first-ball dismissal due to Pandya and through a stunning catch from Suryakumar Yadav sealed their fate. South Africa finished at 169-8.
The three-wicket haul was taken by Pandya, while Arshdeep Singh and Bumrah both took two each. Patel had one wicket to his credit. Virat Kohli’s 76 off 59—helped by six fours and two sixes—sealed the title of Player of the Match. Well served by the early dismissal of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, a 72-run partnership between Kohli and Axar Patel bailed out India from a poor initiation. Patel was run out for 47, while Kohli reached his half century off 48 balls before cutting loose.
Shivam Dube also batted importantly making 27 runs off 16 balls that helped India push the total to respectability. For South Africa Keshav Maharaj and Anrich Nortje took two wickets each, while Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jensen claimed one each.
XI of India: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.
South Africa Playing XI: Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi.
This win also marked the end of an era with Virat Kohli announcing his retirement from T20 internationals and making the last outing a memorable one.
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