The pain of 19 November, which Team India and Indian fans had been carrying in their hearts for the last 7 months, was removed forever on 29 June. Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, Team India defeated South Africa by 7 runs in the final of T20 World Cup 2024 and filled the whole of India with happiness. While Virat Kohli's strong half-century and important innings of Axar Patel-Shivam Dubey took Team India to a strong score of 176, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya made a comeback for Team India at the last moment and stopped South Africa at just 171 runs. With this, after 17 years, Team India won the T20 World Cup title for the second time and became only the third team to do so.

#T20WorldCupFinal , #INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/21NyguiiKj

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 29, 2024

Top order failed, Kohli took over

Team India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss at Kensington Oval ground in Bridgetown and decided to bat first. Kohli, who had failed in the last 7 innings in this World Cup, gave a quick start by hitting 3 fours in the first over. It seemed that a big score was certain today but in the very next over, Keshav Maharaj gave a big blow to Team India by taking the wickets of Rohit and then Rishabh Pant.

In the fifth over, Kagiso Rabada gave the biggest blow to India by dismissing Suryakumar Yadav. Team India had lost 3 wickets for just 34 runs.

Team India was in trouble and here they decided to promote Akshar Patel and this decision proved to be right. After a fast start, Kohli held the fort from one end, while Akshar Patel attacked and collected boundaries in between. There was a partnership of 72 runs between the two for the fourth wicket, which was broken when Akshar was run out. After this, Kohli and Shivam Dubey also added 57 runs. During this, Kohli completed a slow half-century but in the last overs he increased the pace a bit and took the team to 176 runs.

Kohli was out after scoring 76 runs.

Bumrah-Arshdeep gave shocks, Klaasen made a comeback

South Africa also did not have a good start and in the second over itself, Jasprit Bumrah's amazing outswing bowled out Reeza Hendricks. South Africa captain Aiden Markram also could not last long and Arshdeep Singh sent him back to the pavilion. Team India seemed to be in a good position but here Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs handled the innings and counter-attacked and took the team to 70 runs in the 9th over.

Axar Patel brought relief by ending Stubbs' explosive innings.

After this, Klaasen and De Kock formed a partnership and took the team past 100 runs. This partnership was proving to be dangerous but Arshdeep brought Team India back by taking De Kock's wicket. After this, the real action started, when Heinrich Klaasen took charge and was seen snatching the match from Team India. He scored 14 runs in Kuldeep Yadav's over and then in the very next over, he scored 24 runs by hitting 2 sixes and 2 fours off Akshar Patel.

Hardik turned the match around

Klaasen had scored a half-century in just 23 balls and South Africa's victory seemed certain. 26 runs were needed in just 14 balls and this is where Hardik Pandya came to bowl. Hardik took Klaasen's wicket on the very first ball of the 17th over and increased South Africa's troubles by giving just 4 runs. Then in the next over, Bumrah gave just 2 runs and bowled Marco Jansen, bringing Team India closer to victory. South Africa needed 20 runs in the last 2 overs and Arshdeep gave just 4 runs in the 19th over. 16 runs were needed in the last over and Hardik sealed the victory by taking David Miller's wicket on the first ball. Suryakumar Yadav took a sensational catch on the boundary to stop the six and dismissed Miller. Hardik gave Team India victory by giving just 8 runs.