Ad

Innings Break

IND

176 - 7 The
(20)Economist

Try it now!

Log In

South Africa vs India, Final

Info Live Scorecard Squads Overs

CRR 8.8 P'SHIP 2(2) More

Batter R B 4s 6s SR

Hardik Pandya * 5 2 1 0 250.00

Bowler O M R W ECO

Anrich Nortje * 4 0 26 2 6.5

Match Videos VIEW ALL

Fantasy Handbook: T20 World cup | India

South Africa vs Indi… v South Africa, Fina…
Final, T20 World Cup Preview (Hindi)

Welcome back for the all important chase. So far good

from both teams. Markram has done his bit with
captaincy in the first half. He's the only World Cup
winner for South Africa when he led the U19 side to
glory in 2014. Can he do it with the senior team too?

Kohli's inning progression

1-15 balls: 21 runs (SR: 140.0)
16-30 balls: 16 runs (SR: 106.7)
31-45 balls: 11 runs (SR: 73.3)
46-59 balls: 28 runs (SR: 200.0)

Slowest Fifty for India in T20 World Cups (balls)

49 - Suryakumar Yadav vs USA, New York, 2024
48 - Virat Kohli vs SA, Bridgetown, 2024 Final*
45 - Virat Kohli vs PAK, Dubai, 2021
44 - Gautam Gambhir vs BAN, Nottingham, 2009
44 - Rohit Sharma vs WI, Mirpur, 2014

Highest 1st innings total in T20 WC final

176/7 - IND vs SA, Bridgetown, 2024*
173/2 - AUS vs NZ, Dubai, 2021
172/4 - NZ vs AUS, Dubai, 2021
161/6 - WI vs ENG, Kolkata, 2016
157/5 - IND vs PAK, Jo'burg, 2007

Keshav Maharaj: I was just trying to use the surface,

use the breeze and luckily it paid off. The pitch started
off slow, it has got better now and hopefully it will be
good to chase. The catching and outfielding was good,
it's something we pride ourselves on. We can do it,
opportunities like this don't come often and the boys
are ready to go. Hope we can grab it with both hands.

12:09 Local Time, 16:09 GMT, 21:39 IST: Strong

comeback from India after being reduced to 34/3 in the
powerplay on a pitch that's dry and on the slower side.
Maharaj rocked them early, getting rid of Rohit and
Pant in the second over, and the hole got deeper when
Rabada removed Surya cheaply as well. However,
Kohli dropped anchor and was helped in a big way by
Axar Patel who did most of the heavy lifting after being
promoted up the order to lead the recovery for India.
Axar's superb 47, and a late flourish from both Kohli
and Dube - the two players have struggled all
tournament - have taken them to a strong total here in
Barbados.

Cricbuzz Live: T20 World Cup, Final | South

Africa v India, Mid-innings show

Wd 1 1 4 W 2 W (9 runs) IND 176-7

20 Ravindra Jadeja 2(2) Anrich Nortje

Hardik Pandya 5(2) 4-0-26-2

19.6 Nortje to Jadeja, out Caught by Maharaj!! Sliced

in the air, and a good catch from Maharaj! India
W
finish with 176. Fuller than a length outside off,
slanted away from the left-hander who looks to
slog but gets it off the outside half. It loops in the
air in front of extra cover where Maharaj does
well running across. Jadeja c Maharaj b Nortje
2(2)176

Nortje to Jadeja, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

19.5 Nortje to Jadeja, 2 runs, full and wide outside

off, over 147kph, Jadeja reaches out and slices
it over point. The fielder in the deep didn't pick it
immediately, but he cuts it off

Ravindra Jadeja, left handed bat, comes to the

crease

19.4 Nortje to Shivam Dube, out Caught by Miller!!

Low full toss just outside off, Dube fails to get
W
under it and hits it straight to long-off. Hardly got
any elevation on it as he tried launching it down
the ground. Shivam Dube c Miller b Nortje
27(16) [4s-3 6s-1]

Nortje to Shivam Dube, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Highest total in a T20 WC final.

19.3 Nortje to Shivam Dube, FOUR, full outside off,

in the slot and Dube hammers it straight down
4
the ground, beating the diving mid-on fielder to
his right. WIth mid-on in the ring, Nortje needs
to go a lot wider than this. This was right in the
arc

19.2 Nortje to Hardik Pandya, 1 run, cracking yorker

at 144.6kph. It's right at the base of middle and
Pandya squeezes it to mid-off

19.1 Nortje to Shivam Dube, 1 run, 141.3kph, fuller

than a length on middle, in the slot for Dube but
he's a bit late on it. Miscues the slog off the
inside half in front of deep midwicket

19.1 Nortje to Shivam Dube, wide, targets the wide

yorker but misses his mark and bowls it too
wide outside off

Anrich Nortje [3.0-0-17-0] is back into the attack

N 0 4 2 6 W 4 (17 runs) IND 167-5

19 Hardik Pandya 4(1) Marco Jansen

Shivam Dube 22(13) 4-0-49-1

18.6 Marco Jansen to Hardik Pandya, FOUR,

another slower short ball and it gets big on
4
Pandya as he goes for the pull shot. But he gets
lucky. It takes a thick top-edge and flies over the
keeper

Hardik Pandya, right handed bat, comes to the

crease

18.4 Marco Jansen to Kohli, SIX, Kohli turning it on

and the crowd are on their feet!
6

18.3 Marco Jansen to Kohli, 2 runs, wide length ball

outside off, 126.2kph, and Kohli has to reach
out as he looks to drive. He mistimes it off the
toe-end to the right of mid-off

18.2 Marco Jansen to Kohli, FOUR, full toss on the

pads, poor delivery and Kohli whips it away over
4
short fine leg. It beats the fielder in the deep as
well

18.1 Marco Jansen to Kohli, no run, slower bouncer

wide of off, Kohli advances and looks to pull but
is beaten. Was that outside the marker? Kohli
was hoping for a wide but the umpire says no

18.1 Marco Jansen to Kohli, no ball, De Kock throws

the ball in the air in celebration but Kohli looks
confident he hasn't edged it. Oh hang on, it
doesn't matter. Jansen has overstepped. Wide
yorker outside off, Kohli looks to drive but is
beaten. There was no edge - the bat touched
the ground which produced the noise. Free hit
coming up

Marco Jansen [3.0-0-32-0] is back into the attack

6 2 4 1 Wd 1 1 (16 runs) IND 150-4

18 Virat Kohli 64(53) Kagiso Rabada

Shivam Dube 22(13) 4-0-36-1

17.6 Rabada to Kohli, 1 run, 142.7kph, good yorker

on off and Kohli can't do much with it other than
squeeze it down to long-on

17.5 Rabada to Shivam Dube, 1 run, goes for a wide

yorker, ends up as a low full toss and Dube
slices it to deep backward point

17.5 Rabada to Shivam Dube, wide, oh that's very

wide outside off. Wayward full toss, Dube lets it
go and de Kock does well to cut it off

Rabada from round the wicket to Dube

17.4 Rabada to Kohli, 1 run, gives the charge, gets a

full toss on the pads and whips it to deep
midwicket

17.3 Rabada to Kohli, FOUR, four more for Kohli and

the Indian fans are loving it in the crowd! Slower
4
short ball, follows Kohli as he backs away but
he makes the adjustment, getting on top of the
bounce and pulling it past short fine

17.2 Rabada to Kohli, 2 runs, yorker at the toes,

Kohli gets the bat down in time and squeezes it
away through midwicket. Charges back for two

First boundary by Kohli since 3.4 overs.

17.1 Rabada to Kohli, SIX, Kohli cuts loose! Length

ball around off, he clears the front leg, slogs
6
hard and gets enough to clear long-on. Those
wrists coming into play as they so often do,
helping him get under the ball

Kagiso Rabada [3.0-0-20-1] is back into the attack

Kohli vs SA in T20 WC knockouts

72* (44), 2014 SF
50* (48), 2024 Final

First 50+ score for Kohli in the last 10 T20I innings.

1 1 1 0 1 4 (8 runs) IND 134-4

17 Shivam Dube 21(12) Anrich Nortje

Virat Kohli 50(48) 3-0-17-0

16.6 Nortje to Shivam Dube, FOUR, oh brilliantly

done! Dube doing a good job for India here.
4
Short of length on off, he makes his own width
by stepping away to the leg-side and slaps it
hard through backward point

16.5 Nortje to Kohli, 1 run, first fifty of the

tournament for Kohli! Has taken his time
F
getting there. Dug in short, around head height,
and he pulls to deep square leg

4 4 0 W 0 W (8 runs) IND 23-2

2 Rishabh Pant 0(2) Keshav Maharaj

Virat Kohli 14(5) 1-0-8-2

1.6 Maharaj to Pant, out Caught by de Kock!! Two

in the over for Maharaj! Pant had a sheepish
W
look on his face as soon as South Africa went up
in appeal and he's gone for a duck! Dream start
for South Africa, they've got rid of Pant as well.
Pant c de Kock b Maharaj 0(2)

Maharaj to Pant, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

South Africa think they've got another one, umpires are

checking for a fair catch

1.5 Maharaj to Pant, no run, good length delivery just

outside off, Pant prods forward and steers it to
backward point

Rishabh Pant, left handed bat, comes to the crease

1.4 Maharaj to Rohit, out Caught by Klaasen!!

Maharaj gets his man! Indian lose an early
W
wicket and it's the in-form Rohit Sharma! This is
exactly what South Africa would've wanted!
Tossed up full on off-stump, Rohit leant across
and swept it hard, timed it well but did not keep it
down and it went straight to Klaasen at
backward square leg. He moved to his left and
took it fairly low, good catch and South Africa are
absolutely delighted. Things have gone to plan.
Rohit c Klaasen b Maharaj 9(5) [4s-2]

Maharaj to Rohit, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

1.3 Maharaj to Rohit, no run, full on off-stump, Rohit

presses forward and pushes it to short cover

Stat: 15 runs is the most India scored in the first over

of this World Cup.

1.2 Maharaj to Rohit, FOUR, to the third man

ropes again but very intentional this time!
4
Full on middle, Rohit leans in and reverse-
sweeps this past the man at short third, two
boundaries to start the over!

1.1 Maharaj to Rohit, FOUR, a little streaky but

four nonetheless! Length delivery on off-stump,
4
Rohit pressed back looking to cut, bit of extra
bounce and it got a little big on him before taking
a thick outside edge, flew past first slip and ran
down to the third man ropes

Keshav Maharaj, Left arm orthodox, comes into the

attack

Kohli is looking like he's at his best, he's timing them

very sweetly!

1 4 4 2 0 4 (15 runs) IND 15-0

1 Virat Kohli 14(5) Marco Jansen

Rohit Sharma 1(1) 1-0-15-0

0.6 Marco Jansen to Kohli, FOUR, more runs for

Kohli! Marco Jansen pitches it right up on off-
4
stump again, Kohli prods forward and just
pushes it back down the ground gently, all timing
and it beats Nortje who gives it a long chase
from long-on, the slide wasn't enough to reel it
back in, superb start for India and Kohli

0.5 Marco Jansen to Kohli, no run, good length

delivery slanting across outside off, Kohli has a
close look at it before letting it go, great carry
through to de Kock, he took that at about head-
hieght

0.4 Marco Jansen to Kohli, 2 runs, full and slanting

across outside off, Kohli presses forward and
drives it towards extra cover, was just a knock so
they get two

0.3 Marco Jansen to Kohli, FOUR, you could never

tell he's been short of runs! Pitched up full and
4
straight this time, wrong line and length, too
easy for Kohli who whips it away through square
leg with his signature flick, it races away to the
ropes

0.2 Marco Jansen to Kohli, FOUR, BEAUTIFUL!

Pitched up full and slanting across outside off,
4
Kohli pressed forward and opened the face of
the bat to cream the drive through point, sublime
timing and placement

0.1 Marco Jansen to Rohit, 1 run, full and shaping

into off-stump, Rohit prods forward and knocks it
just wide of mid-on, they scamper across for one

Rohit and Kohli are at the crease. Rohit is on

strike. Marco Jansen will open the attack

The national anthems are done and they hurriedly

clear the field as the cricketing action now takes centre
stage. We're moments away from live action.

All bright and sunny at Bridgetown. Blue skies and a

lush green outfield - perfect stage for a cricket match.
The stands are beginning to fill up as well. The Prime
Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, and the Universe
Boss, Chris Gayle, bring out the trophy and set it on
the pedastal before both teams line-up for the national
anthems. India followed by South Africa.

We have made one change to our expert XI on

Fantasy Handbook. Make sure you check it out
before locking your team in for this all important final.

As expected, both teams are sticking to the

combinations that have worked. Also as expected,
India have decided to bat first and put up runs on the
board in a high-pressure game. India made 181 in their
Super 8 game against Afghanistan and Australia made
201 in their game against England here. The
boundaries are relatively shorter here and if India can
get to somewhere around 180, they'll feel like they're in
the driver's seat. For South Africa, it'll be about sticking
to the basics - try and take wickets early and simply
add to the pressure the opposition will already be
under. The first powerplay will be extremely crucial and
it'll set the tone for the rest of the game. If India can get
away to a flying start, South Africa will be playing
catch-up for the rest of the game but if they manage to
peg back a couple of wickets then it'll be on India to
hold on to their resolve.

Stats:

- Teams winning the toss have won the match in 7 out

of the 8 ( and all the last 6) previous T20 World Cup
finals. It is the first T20 World Cup final since 2010 that
will be played in day time.

- At this venue, this is the fourth time a team won the

toss and opted to bat first in 9 matches this World Cup.
The win-loss record for sides batting first and chasing
is evenly split 3-3 with one match each ending in a tie
and no result. The average batting first innings score is
150 runs (163 runs in day games).

As expected, both teams are sticking to the

combinations that have worked. Also as expected,
India have decided to bat first and put up runs on the
board in a high-pressure game. India made 181 in their
Super 8 game against Afghanistan and Australia made
201 in their game against England here. The
boundaries are relatively shorter here and if India can
get to somewhere around 180, they'll feel like they're in
the driver's seat. For South Africa, it'll be about sticking
to the basics - try and take wickets early and simply
add to the pressure the opposition will already be
under. The first powerplay will be extremely crucial and
it'll set the tone for the rest of the game. If India can get
away to a flying start, South Africa will be playing
catch-up for the rest of the game but if they manage to
peg back a couple of wickets then it'll be on India to
hold on to their resolve.

Cricbuzz Live Hindi: T20 World Cup, Final |

South Africa v India, Pre-match Show

Teams:

South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza

Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich
Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj,
Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli,

Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube,
Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Arshdeep
Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah

Aiden Markram: Would've batted first as well, looks

dry. But we get first crack with the ball so hopefully we
can do well. At times we haven't been at our best but
we've still managed to win and we take confidence
from that. Perfect isn't possible but we want to be as
close as possible to that. There's absolutely no
pressure on us, we've never been in a final and we just
want to enjoy it and be at our best. Same team for us.

Rohit Sharma: We're going to bat first, looks a good

pitch. We've played one game here, the scores have
been really good. Just about understanding individual
roles, I know it's a big occasion but it's important to
remain calm and play it like it's another international
game against a good team. South Africa have played
some good cricket but so have we. It's going to be a
really good game between two quality teams. Different
individuals have stepped up at different times and
that's what we're looking forward to today as well.
Same team.

India have won the toss and have opted to bat

Cricbuzz Live: T20 World Cup, Final | South

Africa v India, Pre-match show

Pitch report | Ian Bishop & Nasser Hussain: Hope

the weather Gods are shining on us. There is a 30%
chance of rain and a strong wind blowing towards fine
leg for the left hander and that’s the shortest boundary
at 56m. Don’t be surprised if Quinton de Kock targets
that boundary or Suryakumar Yadav tries to open up
his body. It is a central pitch so fairly even boundaries
on all sides. Interesting looking surface, it is hard but
there is no live grass. Fairly hard surface so hoping the
ball comes onto the bat nicely. More wickets have
fallen to pacers here, so that might indicate some
bounce. Won’t be surprised if there are some
footmarks as the game goes on. There isn’t an
extreme amount of bounce, but if you work hard you
can make cross batted shots difficult. A pretty fair pitch,
doesn’t have the bounce of St Lucia or the low bounce
of Guyana. We reckon it will be an even contest.

For South Africa, Quinton de Kock has found some

form at the right time. While his partner has struggled
for runs, de Kock has been fearless with his strokeplay
and has given his team some great starts. It's the
middle-order that's really been under the scanner all
tournament long and it starts with Markram himself.
They've been short of runs and they simply cannot
afford to falter once more today. While the batters have
struggled, the bowlers have picked up the slack.
Maharaj and Shamsi have been great as spinners
while Jansen, Rabada and Nortje have been ruthless
as well.

That brings us back here to the final. Both the semi-

finals were non-contests, affirming once more that the
two best sides of the tournament - who're also both
unbeaten, something that's happened for the first time
in a World Cup - are here to battle it out and see which
team is really the best. India will stick to their guns just
like they have all tournament long. The only change
they made to their team was to unleash their three-
prong spin-attack once they landed in the Caribbean.
Rohit Sharma has looked in great touch at the top of
the order and the fact that Virat Kohli is due for runs
makes the opening pair even scarier. Pant and SKY
have been at their dynamic best in the middle-order
while Pandya and Dube have added the muscle. Then
there's the three left-arm spinners who've been superb
along with Arshdeep who's been fantastic in the
powerplay and Bumrah who's simply a class apart.

The same, however, cannot be said for South

Africa. Their batting order faced a continued struggle
on the surfaces in the USA. While they battled to put
up competitive totals, their fiery bowling attack bailed
them out. The Netherlands, Bangladesh and Nepal all
ran South Africa really close in the group-stage. The
game against Nepal, in particular, was an extremely
tight finish and the result could've easily been different
had Nepal managed to hold their nerve. And that's
exactly what South Africa have managed to do so well
this competition - hold their nerve. After beating USA
and England by very close margins in the Super 8s,
they faced the West Indies in what was a virtual
knockout and once more, they held their nerve in the
face of tremendous pressure. Then there was the
semi-final against Afghanistan - their best win of the
competition yet where they completely blew the
opposition away.

So, what's India's road to the final been like?

They've been nearly faultless. They registered three
clinical wins against Ireland, Pakistan and the USA in
the group stage and brushed aside Afghanistan and
Bangladesh in their first two Super 8 games. Facing
their nemesis Australia next, India put some demons to
bed and registered another convincing win to make it
into the semi-finals unbeaten. England were next on
the menu and India continued their feast. Skipper Rohit
Sharma led the batting effort as India posted 171 on a
tacky surface before Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav
ran through the English batting order to hand India a
68-run win. 5 of India's 7 wins have come while batting
first and they've all been extremely convincing,
perhaps apart from the game against Pakistan which
went down to the wire. In other words, they're yet to
face an opponent who's truly given them a run for their
money.

As cliche as it may sound, today's game as much a

mental battle as it is a battle of skill. While playing in a
World Cup final inevitably implies pressure, it'll be
accentuated greatly by the weight of expectations on
both teams. And the fact that both teams carry the
label of 'chokers' to varying degrees won't make things
any easier. As much as players speak about keeping
the 'outside noise out' and about 'controlling the
controllables', they'll be very aware of the implications
and expectations. The real challenge then is to turn up
and still be at your best, to still perform and remain
unfazed knowing full well the disappointment that will
follow if you don't. Succumbing to the pressure and
facing heartbreak in World Cup knockouts isn't new for
both these sides but that won't make digesting another
one any easier - in fact, it'll only make it harder. That's
really what's at stake, it's more than just a T20 World
Cup trophy, much more.

09:00 Local Time, 13:00 GMT, 18:30 IST: The

Kensington Oval will be abuzz with excitement as a 29-
day and 54-match competition culminates here today
with the final. The loudest cheers, however, will ring
some 14,000km in India as they eagerly await to see
their heroes finally get their hands on the silverware.
India have been in the final of an ICC event twice in the
last 12 months and here they are once more to try and
end that 11-year trophy drought. If 11-years feels like a
long time, then you must only look across to the
opposition - South Africa - who've been waiting for their
trophy much longer, thrice as long in fact. While cricket
might not be the number 1 sport of choice in South
Africa, this team will carry the hopes of the entire South
African cricketing fraternity. A win today will be
celebrated not just by this team but by all those who've
donned the Proteas jersey.

South Africa vs India - A tactical

preview of the grand finale
All the data-driven sub-plots that you
need to know ahead of the summit…
clash

T20 World Cup, Final | South Africa v India:

Preview

Preview by Vijay Tagore

In just about a year, the Rahul Dravid-Rohit Sharma

combination will be heading into their third final, raising
the big question: will the third attempt be the
triumphant one? After the loss in the WTC final last
June and the heartbreaking World Cup defeat at home
last November - both against Australia incidentally -
India are determined to set the record straight as they
face South Africa in the Twenty20 World Cup final on
Saturday. But can they?

"Yes of course," said Rahul Dravid, on the eve of the

match. "I think it's good that we are consistent and
playing good cricket. For many years, especially in the
last year, being No 1 in all three formats, playing in the
finals.., is a good thing. Indian cricket has shown a lot
of consistency and it is a very happy thing. And... if we
play well and if we have the rub of the green, then we
will win." The best part of the coach's response was
that the Indian team isn't putting pressure on
themselves, something they may have been guilty of
on earlier two occasions, particularly last in the World
Cup, to win the trophy. They are in a "life goes on"
mode, blissfully unfazed about the 'what-if' factor.

The pressure aside, South Africa will be formidable

opponents, and India will need to be at the top of their
game. Before the match, the think tank must make
several crucial calls: Would they be happy with South
Africa chasing or bat first? And what should India do
themselves? Considering they have batted first in both
crucial games against Australia and England, would it
be wise to stick with this strategy, or should they
assess the pitch and decide if it favors an easier
chase, as they often do in the IPL? Finally, will the
pressure of the final be too overwhelming, prompting
them to stick with what has been working so far?

Jos Buttler provided a peek at what is expected in the

final. "I think the two top sides in the final and it is going
to be a game of small margins and it's going to be a
great game. Two really good teams," the England
skipper said after his team's semifinal loss to India in
Georgetown on Thursday.

Selection seems easy as they have been very clear on

roles and aimed to give each player maximum chance
to prove themselves, a bit like the Chennai Super
Kings formula, which means Virat Kohli and Shivam
Dube, despite their underwhelming showing so far, are
likely to be persisted with. Who's to argue against that
anyway, when there is success to show?

The threat for India lies in South Africa's formidable

batting lineup, which becomes even more dangerous
on a good pitch with smaller boundary dimensions - a
factor that could diminish the effectiveness of spinners.
Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller are dangerous
finishers who can apply strong pressure on the bowlers
in the latter half of the innings. Quinton de Kock, who
can dominate from the start, poses a challenge upfront
as he showed against England in a league game.

Regarding the South Africa bowling, much will depend

on how effectively India pairs Rishabh Pant and
Shivam Dube against Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz
Shamsi. The challenge arises if Pant gets out early,
which has been happening of late. Suryakumar Yadav
and Hardik Pandya cannot be delayed in the batting
order, which will leave India needing to find a way to
involve Dube early to handle the spinners without
taking too many balls away.

The pitch for the final (Pitch No. 4) has seen two
previous games: England vs. Scotland, which was
washed out, and Namibia vs. Oman, which went to a
Super Over after a low-scoring affair. There's limited
information that can be drawn from these matches,
especially on a smaller ground. This raises the obvious
question: Can Indian spinners handle the conditions?
Having been accustomed to playing on smaller
grounds in the IPL, they should be. But then this is a
World Cup final. Another point of note is how Indian
batsmen handle their fast bowlers and how can they
pair up their left-handers to take on the South African
spinners?

But Dravid said they will try to control the controllables.

"It's just about all the guys getting into ensuring that
physically, mentally, tactically we are ready for the
game. Those are the things that we can control - that
we are fresh, that we have looked after all our niggles if
there are any, we have done all our tactical preparation
and they are mentally relaxed and excited and looking
forward to the game," the coach, who will exit the
Indian team after the final, said in a tone of pragmatism
that has been a hallmark of his tenure.

When: Saturday, June 29 2024 at 20:00 IST, 10:00

Local Time

Where: Kensginton Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Teams watch

India

Tactics & matchups: Pacers have had more success

than spinners in Barbados in this World Cup but India
are unlikely to tinker with their three-prong spin attack.
Left-arm orthodox of Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja
might prove useful against Quinton de Kock and
Aiden Markram, who have been dismissed by this
bowling variety seven times combined in T20Is since
2022. Kuldeep has also had success against de Kock
in T20s, having dismissed him twice in 20 deliveries.
Arshdeep Singh matches up well against the opener
as well, with three dismissals in 32 deliveries for only
31 runs. Hardik Pandya has had success against his
former Gujarat Titans teammate David Miller, having
accounted for his wicket four times.

Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh

Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik
Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav,
Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah

South Africa

Tactics & matchups: Kagiso Rabada, South Africa's

premier pacer, will be key up front for the first-time
finalists as he has accounted for Rohit Sharma and
Virat Kohli four times each in T20s, with the two
openers having strike rates of 118.42 and 106.25
respectively against him. Rabada has also dismissed
Suryakumar Yadav three times but has gone for 126
runs in 68 balls (batting SR of 185.29). Anrich Nortje
has bowled well against Kohli, dismissing him three
times in 33 balls for only 35 runs. Keshav Maharaj
could prove useful against Rishabh Pant, having
dismissed him twice in eight balls.

Probable XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks,

Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller,
Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj,
Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi

Did you know?

- This is the first instance of two unbeaten teams facing

off in a T20 World Cup final. The last instance of a
team having an unbeaten run throughout a Men's ICC
tournament was the Champions Trophy in 2013 which
India won

- This is the third ICC tournament final for India under

Rohit Sharma in a little over 12 months - in three
different formats. He could also become the first to 50
wins as a T20I captain

- Aiden Markram has a 100 percent success rate as a

captain in ICC tournaments. Under his captaincy South
Africa won six out of six in the Under 19 World Cup in
2014, he led them to two wins in the 2023 World Cup
standing in for Temba Bavuma, and the unbeaten run
in the 2024 T20 World Cup

- The last time India and South Africa met in a

knockout game in an ICC tournament was the T20
World Cup 2014 semi-final in Mirpur. Virat Kohli struck
an unbeaten 72 off 44 balls to guide India to a six-
wicket win in that game.

What they said:

"I think what's really important and I think what we've

done really well as a group, I think in this whole
tournament, is we have shown the ability to adapt, to
recognize what is a good score. We played very
differently in New York, than we played at St. Lucia.
Then we played even in Barbados in the first game and
I thought that the wicket was quite slow. But again, for
a final, we are not really sure what we are going to
come up against. And I'm just hoping that whatever we
come up against, we will have the ability to recognize it
and to be able to play accordingly, as we've done in the
last three games" - Rahul Dravid, India head coach.

"We've been doing it for most of our careers, you jump

from venue to venue where conditions are quite
different. So, it's again just adapting to whatever is in
front of you and playing the pitch and the game that's
in front of you. We'll try to find ways to always take
wickets with the ball and from a batting point of view try
to get to a score that's defendable. So yeah, not
looking too much into conditions. Both teams have to
play on the same wicket. And ultimately, if you can
develop some plans and come up with some plans on
the day that can give you a good chance to win, then
hopefully it works out that way" - Aiden Markram,
South Africa captain.

Move to Top

Home Matches Series Videos News