India Wins ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Against South Africa

Reported By Varad Bhatkhande

Pune/Barbados, 29th June 2024: On 15th December 2023, amidst backlash following India’s loss to the mighty Aussies in the ICC Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup final, Mumbai Indians announced Hardik Pandya as their new captain, replacing franchise legend Rohit Sharma who remained in the squad.

Hardik faced widespread hatred, wishes for his failure, and curses from all quarters. The Wankhede Stadium booed him, India loathed him, and fans were disgusted with him. From that dark period, Hardik emerged as the star of India’s victorious campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, marking a journey akin to a Phoenix rising from the ashes. His transformation not only brought joy to every Indian cricket fan after 11 years but also symbolized resilience and triumph against adversity.

Kohli, firing after a tournament marked by failures, Axar emerged as a surprise performer, Pandya staged a career comeback, and Bumrah delivered his usual consistent performance. Together, they propelled India to a thrilling 7-run victory over South Africa, securing their second ICC T20 Men’s World Cup title. Despite South Africa giving India a scare, reminiscent of past heartbreaks against teams like Australia in 2023 and the West Indies in 2016, they fell short once more. India’s triumph has united the nation in celebrating their beloved sport once again.

In the most important match of the year for both teams, India won the toss and chose to bat first. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, pleased with the toss result, remarked that the pitch was good and emphasized the need for the team to stay calm. He praised the Proteas and announced that India would stick with the same lineup that has kept them unbeaten throughout the tournament. South African captain Aiden Markram expressed his preference to bat first as well, noting that the pitch looked dry. He conveyed confidence and saw this as a fantastic opportunity without any pressure. He also confirmed that South Africa would field the same team that had kept them unbeaten on their journey to the final.

Cricket expert Nasir Hussain noted that while the pitch would favour pacers, it was still a decent batting wicket. He suggested that spinners could become influential in the second innings. Despite the frequent rain before games in this tournament, fans remained hopeful for an uninterrupted match.

India Posts 176, Thanks to Kohli, Axar and Dube

The Indian team retained the same opening pair, with in-form Rohit Sharma and out-of-touch Virat Kohli. They started strongly, scoring 15 runs in the first over. However, the second over by Keshav Maharaj brought bad news for India. He took a brace, dismissing India’s highest scorer in this competition for 9 runs and sending Rishabh Pant back without scoring. Maharaj’s over gained momentum, which was capitalized on by Rabada as he dismissed Surya. The run machine, determined to be clutch in this match, stabilized India with the help of pinch-hitter Axar, restoring momentum. Axar’s influential innings was abruptly halted when he carelessly ‘forgot’ to return to the crease, resulting in wicketkeeper De Kock running him out. However, Axar had already done his job, scoring 47 runs and ensuring India crossed the 100-run mark, setting the stage for the next batters.

Kohli continued his role as anchor, scoring a half-century, while Dube took over Axar’s interrupted role of smashing the ball. India, once struggling to achieve a decent score, steadied themselves and crossed the 150 mark in the 19th over. Kohli transformed into ‘Rudra Avatar,’ showing aggression after scoring a half-century, and delivered crucial blows until his innings was ended by Rabada, who caught him at long-off off Marco Jansen’s delivery. Kohli played the anchor role for the majority of his innings, scoring 76 off 59 balls. Dube, with his power-hitting persona, couldn’t finish the match unbeaten as he got out for 27 runs in the last over. India scored 176 runs in their 20 overs, losing 7 wickets. This was 10 runs more than the ground’s all-time average and the highest score ever in an ICC T20 Men’s World Cup Final.

South Africa’s bowling initially created havoc but couldn’t contain King Kohli’s brilliance. Keshav Maharaj was the Proteas’ best bowler, taking two crucial wickets of Rishabh Pant and in-form Hitman, conceding only 23 runs in 3 overs. Anrich Nortje also took two wickets, while Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada claimed one each. South Africa’s fielding complemented their bowling well, saving crucial runs.

South Africa Restricted By Indian Pacers

With a target of 177 runs in sight, South Africa opened with Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks, who started steadily, maintaining a good ball-to-ball ratio in the first over. Their steadiness was short-lived as Bumrah bowled out the struggling Hendricks in the very next over, followed by Arshdeep dismissing skipper Aiden Markram. Both combined for a total of less than 10 runs. India introduced spin early in the innings, sticking to their game plan from previous matches. However, De Kock and Tristan Stubbs took charge, gaining momentum for their team, though Stubbs’ innings was short-lived in the final. Heinrich Klaasen continued the Proteas’ innings with some beautiful cricketing shots, but De Kock was dismissed by Arshdeep, caught by Kuldeep at fine leg after scoring 39 runs.

De Kock’s dismissal seemed to end South Africa’s hopes, but Klaasen kicked into high gear, matching the required run rate by dominating Axar with 5 overs remaining and completing his half-century. India’s hopes reignited when Pandya dismissed Klaasen, with 26 runs still needed off 23 balls. The game reached a tense standoff, with both sides having a chance to win. In what could be the most crucial over of his international career, Bumrah dismissed Jansen and conceded just 2 runs. Arshdeep bowled the penultimate over with 20 runs needed to win, conceding just 4 runs. This meant Hardik Pandya had to defend 16 runs in the last over. On the first ball of the last over, Pandya dismissed Miller, the dangerous batsman and last recognized batsman, with a spectacular catch by Sky at long-off, preventing a potential six. Pandya then dismissed Rabada, securing a 7-run victory for India as South Africa ended their 20 overs at 169 for 8.

In India’s bowling, the spinners have long disappointed, but the pacers saved face against cricket’s perennial chokers, South Africa. Hardik Pandya, the star performer, took 3 wickets in 3 overs, conceding 20 runs and dismissing crucial players like Klaasen and Miller. Bumrah, as impressive as ever, played a pivotal role in bringing India back into the game with crucial overs and also took 2 wickets. Arshdeep also impressed with 2 wickets, delivering exceptionally well.

Thanks to Kohli’s composed 76, earning him the Man of the Match award, Axar’s crucial 47, along with Hardik’s bowling magic and Bumrah’s unplayable spell, India clinched their second ICC T20 Men’s World Cup title after 17 years. This victory marks India’s sixth ICC tournament win overall. Meanwhile, South Africa, notorious for faltering on big occasions, narrowly missed out once again, perpetuating their reputation as ‘chokers’.