India won the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Final by 7 runs in a thrilling, down-to-the-wire encounter against South Africa at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

First Innings: India’s Resilience
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, India faced an early stutter, slipping to 34/3 within the powerplay. However, a masterful anchor innings by Virat Kohli, who scored a clutch 76 off 59 balls, steadied the ship. He found crucial support in Axar Patel, who counter-attacked brilliantly with a quick-fire 47 off 31 balls. A late cameo from Shivam Dube (27 off 16) helped propel India to a highly competitive total of 176/7 in their 20 overs. For South Africa, Keshav Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2/23.

Second Innings: The Great Escape
In reply, South Africa’s chase looked formidable. Despite losing early wickets, Heinrich Klaasen threatened to snatch the game away, blasting a sensational 52 off just 27 balls. At one stage, South Africa looked firmly in control, requiring just 30 runs off the final 30 balls with plenty of wickets in hand.

The turning point came via a monumental death-overs bowling masterclass from India. Jasprit Bumrah bowled an incredibly economical spell, finishing with figures of 2/18 in his 4 overs, completely choking the run flow. Hardik Pandya then broke the game wide open by dismissing the dangerous Klaasen.

The Final Over and Iconic Moments
With South Africa needing 16 runs off the final over, Hardik Pandya held his nerve. On the very first ball, Suryakumar Yadav pulled off one of the greatest catches in cricket history—juggling the ball right on the boundary rope to dismiss David Miller. Pandya finished with stellar figures of 3/20, restricting South Africa to 169/8 and securing India’s undefeated tournament run to lift their second T20 World Cup title.