India ended an 11-year wait for a major trophy by beating South Africa in a thrilling final and becoming the first team to unbeaten in a T20 World Cup.
India’s wait for a major title came to an end at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. India seemed down and out at one point with South Africa needing just 30 runs to win off the last 30 balls but Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, alongwith the Indian fielders, somehow pulled things back. India ended up winning the final by seven runs and thus became the first team ever to go an entire T20 World Cup tournament unbeaten. This is India’s second T20 World Cup title, having won the inaugural edition of the tournament all the way back in 2007. (Getty Images)
It turned out to be the last time fans saw captain Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli in a T20I. Kohli won player of the match, coming clutch after struggling the entire tournament, with a 59-ball 76 which bailed India out of a very shaky start. He announced his retirement from the format in the post-match presentation ceremony. News of Rohit’s retirement filtered through later on. (REUTERS)
It was also a fairytale ending for Rahul Dravid, who is stepping down as head coach after the T20 World Cup. Dravid led India to the 2023 World Test Championship final and the 2023 World Cup final as well. (REUTERS)
Jasprit Bumrah was named player of the tournament, having finished with 15 wickets in eight matches at a scarcely believable economy of 4.17. He played an integral in pulling India back from the dead after Klaasen’s carnage. (PTI)
India won the toss and chose to bat first. Kohli smashed three fours in the first over but Keshav Maharaj pegged India back by dismissing Rohit and Rishabh Pant in the second. (ANI)
Kohli stuck around and eventually managed to accelerate in the death overs. He fell on 76 off 59 balls with six fours and two sixes in what turned out to be his last T20I innings. Shivam Dube also scored 27 off 16 balls and India got to a score of 176/7, the highest by any team in the final of a T20 World Cup. (ANI)
Rohit threw the ball to Bumrah in the next over to limit the damage and he gave just four runs away in the 16th. Hardik Pandya then turned the tables in India’s favour again by dismissing Klaasen in the next over and conceding just four runs in it. (ICC – X )
Pandya bowled it and Suryakumar Yadav took a stunning catch to dismiss Miller off the very first ball. Rabada got a lucky four off the next but India held on and won the game by seven runs, with South Africa finishing with a score of 169/8. (BCCI-X)