Virat Kohli’s impressive knock of 76 propelled India to a formidable 176-7. Despite Heinrich Klaasen’s explosive 52 off 27 balls putting South Africa on the brink of victory, stellar Indian bowling in the final overs sealed their win.
South Africa finished at
169-8, with Hardik Pandya’s 3-20 thrilling the 28,000-strong crowd. Kohli, who
had struggled in the tournament, produced a crucial, balanced innings when it
mattered most, lifting India from a precarious 34-3 after captain Rohit Sharma
opted to bat first.
In what has been a
low-scoring tournament, the target appeared daunting for South Africa. Quinton
de Kock (39) and Tristan Stubbs (31) gave the Proteas hope before Klaasen’s
onslaught in the 15th over, where he hit Axar Patel for 24 runs, shifted
momentum. When Klaasen fell, caught behind off Pandya, South Africa needed just
26 runs from 23 balls.
Rohit called on pacer
Jasprit Bumrah early for his final over, and Bumrah responded by bowling Marco
Jansen and conceding just two runs in the 18th over. This left South Africa
needing 20 from the last two overs. Arshdeep Singh’s superb length restricted
them to four runs in the penultimate over.
With 16 needed off the
final over, Pandya’s full-toss to David Miller was caught spectacularly by
Suryakumar Yadav on the boundary, reducing South Africa’s chances. Although
Kagiso Rabada edged a four and Pandya bowled a wide, the seamer maintained his
composure, securing the title for India after their 50-over World Cup
disappointment.
Player-of-the-Tournament
Bumrah expressed his elation, highlighting the team's hard work and dedication.
Kohli's crucial innings came at a perfect time for India. His partnership with
Axar Patel, who scored 47, laid the foundation for a competitive total, with
Shivam Dube adding a brisk 27 off 16 balls at the end.
Kohli, who had averaged
just 10.71 before the final, started strong with three fours off Jansen’s
opening over, setting a record high of 15 runs in a T20 World Cup final's first
over. Rohit and Pant fell to Maharaj, while Suryakumar’s brief stint ended with
a catch off Rabada, leaving India at 45-3 after the powerplay and 75-3 at the
halfway mark.
Kohli and Axar’s
partnership accelerated India's scoring, reaching 100 off 82 balls. Axar’s
run-out and Kohli’s eventual dismissal for 76, caught by Rabada off Jansen,
capped a challenging innings. Despite Jansen's 1-49 in four overs, India’s
score was formidable under bright sunshine and gusty winds.
Both teams retained their
semi-final winning line-ups.
**Scoreboard:**
**India:**
- R. Sharma c Klaasen b
Maharaj: 9
- V. Kohli c Rabada b
Jansen: 76
- R. Pant c de Kock b
Maharaj: 0
- S. Yadav c Klaasen b
Rabada: 3
- A. Patel run out: 47
- S. Dube c Miller b
Nortje: 27
- H. Pandya not out: 5
- R. Jadeja c Maharaj b
Nortje: 2
- Extras (NB-1, W-6): 7
- Total (for seven
wickets, 20 overs): 176
- Fall of wickets: 1-23
(Sharma), 2-23 (Pant), 3-34 (S. Yadav), 4-106 (Patel), 5-163 (Kohli), 6-174
(Dube), 7-176 (Jadeja)
- Did not bat: K. Yadav,
A. Singh, J. Bumrah
- Bowling: Jansen
4-0-49-1 (1w, 1nb), Maharaj 3-0-23-2, Rabada 4-0-36-1 (2w), Markram 2-0-16-0,
Nortje 4-0-26-2 (2w), Shamsi 3-0-26-0 (1w)
**South Africa:**
- R. Hendricks b Bumrah:
4
- Q. de Kock c K. Yadav b
Arshdeep: 39
- A. Markram c Pant b
Arshdeep: 4
- T. Stubbs b Patel: 31
- H. Klaasen c Pant b
Pandya: 52
- D. Miller c S. Yadav b
Pandya: 21
- M. Jansen b Bumrah: 2
- K. Maharaj not out: 2
- K. Rabada c S. Yadav b
Pandya: 4
- A. Nortje not out: 1
- Extras (B-1, LB-4,
NB-1, W-3): 9
- Total (for eight wickets,
20 overs): 169
- Fall of wickets: 1-7
(Hendricks), 2-12 (Markram), 3-70 (Stubbs), 4-106 (de Kock), 5-151 (Klaasen),
6-156 (Jansen), 7-161 (Miller), 8-168 (Rabada)
- Did not bat: T. Shamsi
- Bowling: Arshdeep
4-0-20-2, Bumrah 4-0-18-2, Patel 4-0-49-1 (2w), K. Yadav 4-0-45-0, Pandya
3-0-20-3 (1w, 1nb), Jadeja 1-0-12-0
**Result:** India won by
seven runs.
**Player of the Match:**
Virat Kohli
**Player of the
Tournament:** Jasprit Bumrah (India)
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