Courtesy: ICC
The Indian cricket team won their first ICC trophy in 11 years after defeating South Africa by seven runs in the T20 World Cup 2024 final on June 29 at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. One of the chief architects of the title triumph for India was their former captain, Virat Kohli, who dropped anchor for his 76 runs in 59 balls including six fours and two sixes, to help set-up a competitive total on the board, which the bowlers defended successfully.
After Indian captain Rohit Sharma decided to bat first on a Sunday afternoon at the Kensington Oval, their top order fell away as the skipper himself was dismissed for nine runs, while the likes of Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav didn’t last long at the crease either. Virat Kohli was in flow during the first power play stage, hitting multiple boundaries, but he decided to go defensive after India were reduced to 34/3 in 4.3 overs.
Axar Patel, who was promoted to No. 5 in the Indian batting order, took the attack to the South African bowlers as Virat Kohli decided to consolidate the innings from the other end. The left-handed batter scored 47 off 31 in a partnership of 72 runs in 54 balls alongside Virat Kohli, who kept knocking the spinners and pacers alike into gaps, looking to ensure that the scorecard moved forward from his end as well.
During the time of Shivam Dube’s arrival to the crease, the Indian innings had reached 106/4 in 13.3 overs, and he unleashed himself on the South African bowlers, to score 27 runs off just 16 balls. At the other end, Virat Kohli moved up the gears during their 57-run stand off 33 balls, taking down the pacers with ease after chewing up 48 deliveries to bring up his fifty, and he was given the player of the match award later on.
Ultimately, India scored 176/7 in their allotted overs before the bowlers stepped-up for the Men in Blue in tough situation, defending 30 runs in 30 balls despite the presence of David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen at the crease, to win the coveted ICC T20 World Cup trophy for the second time.
