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India Claims the T20 world cup 2024 Title against South Africa
Before the final delivery, emotions were running high. With South Africa needing 10 runs from the last two balls, the on-strike batsman, Kagiso Rabada, was caught out attempting to hit a boundary. This marked the final nail in the coffin for South Africa’s victory aspirations.
India won by 7 runs, defeating South Africa at the Kensington Oval in Barbados and clinches its T20 world cup 2024 title. The whole country had been waiting for this moment since their 2007 victory, with a close runner-up finish in 2014.
India had been facing back-to-back defeats in finals, including losing the World Test Championship final twice, as well as the One Day World Cup final at home to Australia.
Why the T20 world cup 2024 was so Thrilling
The bright and sunny morning at Kensington felt electrifying, with the atmosphere buzzing and loud cheers supporting both sides. Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bat first.
But I would like to start with the extreme end of the match. The game was almost slipping away when only 30 runs were needed in 30 balls, but then Bumrah’s over halted the runs. Additionally, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya played crucial roles with their bowling efforts, restricting South Africa to 169-8.
Those last 4 overs were super exciting, with the noise level meter sometimes crossing 125 dB. Indian bowlers, with full team support, turned the match in these overs. Attempting to cut a slower ball moving away from the off stump, Heinrich Klaasen got out, giving a catch to Rishabh Pant.
The 18th and 19th overs were nail-biting and full of silence, but the silence broke into 125 dB noise when Jasprit Bumrah clean bowled Marco Jansen, and Arshdeep Singh gave away only 3 runs in the 19th over.
In the last over, Hardik Pandya delivered a lower full toss outside the off stump to David Miller. Miller took the shot, almost seeking the boundary, but an outstanding catch by Surya kumar Yadav turned the match. This catch was the turning point, and Indian fans’ hopes of bringing the trophy home were at their peak.
Finally, with 9 runs needed and just 1 ball remaining, the Indian boys celebrated the moment, full of emotions and tears in their eyes, clinching the T20 World Cup trophy for the second time.
Why only 176 runs on the board in T20 world cup 2024 final?
Looking at the T20 World Cup 2024 final batting performance of India, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opened the match with both players maintaining a strike rate of almost 180. However, Rohit Sharma lost his wicket after scoring just 9 runs, which put Team India in a difficult situation. Rishabh Pant was also unable to build the partnership that Team India needed.
It was now up to Virat Kohli to stay on the ground and take India to a good score. Given Kohli’s underwhelming performance in previous T20 matches, many fans were uncertain whether he could bounce back today.
After the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, the partnership India needed was fulfilled by Axar Patel with Virat Kohli. Axar played power shots with a clear strategy: one playing defensively and the other attacking. Unfortunately, Axar Patel was run out by a direct throw from Quinton de Kock, but not before securing a good score of 47 runs in just 31 balls and providing the partnership India needed after losing 3 wickets in the power play.
Shivam Dube also contributed with 27 runs in just 16 balls, hitting 4 boundaries (3 fours and a six). On the other side, Virat Kohli, after completing his half-century, hit back-to-back boundaries before losing his wicket at a commendable score of 76 runs in 59 balls. Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja then finished the batting innings for Team India, setting a total score of 176.
Joy spread throughout the country
India had faced consecutive defeats in finals, such as losing the World Test Championship twice and the One day International World Cup final at home. However, after the hard work of all the players, the Indian team finally clinched the T20 world cup 2024 trophy. Today, every Indian hopes that June 29 will keep coming again and again.
With this joy, several players announced their retirement, making this moment even more emotional for fans as they saw their favorite players retiring from international cricket. The names include Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja. It was also the last match for Rahul Dravid as the Indian coach. The match was not only a farewell to these players but also a tribute to the deep feelings fans have held together.
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