India lifted the T20 World Cup title after a gap of 17 years on Saturday. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Mohammed Siraj were super emotional. All these players were spotted having tears in their eyes. It was all justified as India were set to lose a third ICC tournament final in around a year’s time, but they managed to eke out a narrow seven-run win in the T20 World Cup 2024 summit clash against South Africa. After India’s victory, Virat’s wife and Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma put a heartfelt post on social media.

“Our daughter’s biggest concern was if all the players had someone to hug them after she saw them cry on tv….. Yes, My darling, they were hugged by 1.5 billion people What a phenomenal victory and what a legendary achievement!! CHAMPIONS – CONGRATULATIONS!!” wrote Anushka.

Star batter Virat Kohli on Saturday announced his retirement from T20Is after guiding India to their second T20 World Cup win.

Kohli anchored the innings with a match-winning 59-ball 76 with two sixes and six fours to lift India from a precarious 34 for three inside the powerplay, to a formidable 176 for seven, cornerstone of India’s 7-run victory over South Africa.

Kohli said after collecting the Man of the Match award that it was his las T20I match for India.

“This was my last T20 World Cup, this is exactly what we wanted to achieve,” Kohli told the broadcast after India’s win in a global tournament after 11 years.

“One day you feel like you can’t get a run and this happens, God is great. (It is) just the occasion, now or never kind of situation. This was my last T20 game playing for India. We wanted to lift that cup,” he said.

“Yes I have, this was an open secret (retirement). Not something that I wasn’t going to announce even if we had lost. Time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward,” Kohli confirmed when asked if he was making the official announcement about him calling it a day.

“It’s been a long wait for us, waiting to win an ICC tournament. You look at someone like Rohit (Sharma), he’s played 9 T20 World Cups and this is my sixth.

“He deserves it. It’s been difficult to hold things (emotions) back and I think it’s going to sink in later. It’s an amazing day and I’m thankful,” Kohli added.

(With PTI Inputs)

India vs South Africa Live: Squads –

India: Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal

South Africa: 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, Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Bjorn Fortuin, Ryan Rickelton

The entire country is looking forward to Saturday when team India meet South Africa in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. India will be looking to end their 13-year trophy drought whereas the Proteas will be hoping to win their first-ever ICC tournament. The South African team is making its first-ever appearance in the final of an ICC tournament whereas India will be hoping to look past the ghosts of the last ten years and hopefully win their first-ever trophy. Many have labelled the South African team as ‘chokers’ for their previous inability to make the finals of the tournament whereas Indian fans have also had experience with the word given their loss against Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

In an exclusive conversation with IANS, 1983 World Cup-winning all-rounder Kirti Azad has stated what India’s game plan needs to be like in the final.

“It is very difficult to talk about South Africa as it is their first time in the final of any ICC tournament. They were even called ‘chokers’ as they used to always choke in the semi-finals which is why it will be difficult to predict, to say how they will perform in the final. But yes they will give it their best to win and India have to be careful to not get too complacent and we don’t end up choking the game. The hope will be that we put up a good score,” he said.

“As we saw the pitches last time out in the semifinals, the ball was not bouncing too much and staying low. We will have to be careful and give them a good target. South Africa ko choke karaana hoga (We will have to get South Africa to choke),” Azad told IANS.

The Indian bowling attack has been brilliant from the very first game with Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah having been the stars of the tournament. Their stellar performances were in the spotlight in the semi-finals as they restricted the English batsman from chasing the 171-run target and bundled their opponents out for 103. Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav picked up three wickets each whereas Bumrah added two wickets to his name.

Rohit Sharma is also a very important player for the side as the Indian skipper has scored 248 runs for his team throughout the tournament making him the third-highest run-getter in this edition.

“I had full belief that the way the Indian team is, we will perform well and win the World Cup. The performance by all players have been top-notch, especially the bowlers in the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel have been bowling well. India’s bowling attack is second to none. The biggest plus point for our side is the way Rohit is batting,” added the 1983 World Cup winner.

Rohit Sharma was named the captain of the Indian national team in 2022. Since his appointment, he has lost the 2022 T20 WC semi-finals, the 2023 WTC finals and the 2023 ODI World Cup final. The 34-year-old will be hoping to end his bad luck in the final and hopefully lead India to their second T20 World Cup trophy.

“All captains have performed well. If you look at Virat Kohli’s captaincy, India won a lot of series during his tenure that they had not won before. Every captain has his own style, Rohit is the captain currently and he is doing well so I wish him all the best and hope they win the final,” concluded the former all-rounder.

India will take on face South Africa on Saturday in the T20 World Cup final in Bridgetown, Barbados. However, the rain is likely to play spoilsport at the Kensington Oval. India pumped England in a rain-hit semi-final in Guyana, while South Africa hammered Afghanistan in the other clash at Trinidad. If the rain does arrive on matchday, the ICC has alotted a reserve day for the final. If the match cannot be completed on Saturday, both teams will take the field once again on Sunday, the reserve day. The capital of Barbados, Bridgetown, witnessed heavy rain on the eve of the match.

It’s past midnight in India and here in Barbados the rain has just after sun set.#Kalki2898AD pic.twitter.com/esypzB5Sg9

— Aman Choudhary (@Aman4Bmr) June 29, 2024

As per Accuweather, showers and possible thunderstorms could result in some disruptions. The rain percentage could rise upto 51 during the match.

The sky will be mostly cloudy with occasional scattered sunlight to moderate showers, and a very slight chance of isolated thunderstorms.

Here’s the hourly weather update of Barbados (Saturday, June 29):

9:00 AM (6:30 PM IST) – 47 % chance of rain

10:00 AM (7:30 PM IST) – 29 % chance of rain

11:00 AM (8:30 PM IST) – 29 % chance of rain

12:00 PM (9:30 PM IST) – 35 % chance of rain

1:00 PM (10:30 PM IST) – 51 % chance of rain

2:00 PM (11:30 PM IST) – 47 % chance of rain

3:00 PM (12:30 AM IST) – 40 % chance of rain

While the Barbados Meteorological Service had suggested that a tropical storm might affect the island on Saturday, the weather forecast suggests that there might be some improvement as we approach match day.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that the match might start at scheduled time as the playing outfield will also be inspected by the umpires before the scheduled toss time.

The second semi-final between India and England was also delayed due to rain. However, a full match was completed despite a few interruptions by the rain in Guyana.

According to ICC’s Playing Conditions for the reserve day, “every effort will be made to complete the match on the scheduled day with any necessary reduction in overs taking place and only if the minimum number of overs necessary to constitute a match cannot be bowled on the scheduled day will the match be completed on the reserve day.”

A minimum over 10 overs must be completed by each side in order to achieve a result. However, if the match begins on the scheduled, but could not be completed on the same due to rain interruptions, it will resume from the same point on the reserve day.

South Africa will face India in the Final of the prestigious ICC T20 World Cup 2024 on June 29 at 8:00 PM IST. The most-awaited clash will be hosted at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. South Africa are yet to add the coveted silverware to their trophy cabinet while India won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup 2007 played in Johannesburg.

T20 World Cup 2024 Final

As we reach the climax of the ninth edition, it is worth noting that both teams South Africa and India, have remained unbeaten in the tournament so far.

The Aiden Markram-led team broke the jinx of SA’s knockout games vs Afghanistan in Trinidad in a Semi-Final clash to feature in the Final on June 29. While Rohit Sharma’s men overcame the ghosts of Adelaide 2022 to beat England and inch closer to the 2024 trophy.

Key player battles ahead of the SA vs IND Final

As we head into the adrenaline-filled day of T20 cricket, here are some interesting player battles to keep an eye on:

1. Virat Kohli vs Kagiso Rabada

Virat Kohli is the highest run-getter in T20 World Cups with 1,216 runs in 34 games. However, Kohli’s recent form says otherwise. In seven matches of the ongoing tournament, the top-order batter has managed only 75 runs with a top score of 37. For South Africa, Kagiso Rabada has been one of their go-to bowlers for much-needed dismissals. In eight games, the right-arm pacer has taken 12 wickets.

Kohli has faced Rabada in six T20Is and has fallen prey to him once at a decent average of 7.5. While the chase master has scored only 15 runs out of 16 balls faced. In the upcoming clash, Rabada’s form will be crucial for his team’s success in the power play.

2. Rohit Sharma vs Keshav Maharaj

In this tournament, Rohit Sharma has led India’s batting from the front with 248 runs in seven games. His three half-centuries with a top score of 92 highlights his blazing form. Keshav Maharaj, a slow left-arm orthodox bowler, has performed decently with nine wickets in seven matches and can trouble the Indian skipper on the spin-friendly pitch at Kensington Oval.

Furthermore, what makes this face-off interesting is that in their only T20I encounter, the Proteas talent has dismissed Rohit while giving only just 11 runs.

3. Quinton de Kock vs Arshdeep Singh

The only South African batter to cross 200 runs in this tournament is Quinton de Kock with 204 runs in eight outings. On the opposite side, Arshdeep Singh, a young pacer, has climbed up the ranks for the Men in Blue with 15 wickets in seven appearances. His best T20I spell of 4/9 was recorded against the USA earlier this month.

Predominantly, Arshdeep has enjoyed bowling against de Kock in T20Is as the left-arm pacer has dismissed him twice at an average of six while conceding only 12 runs at a strike rate of 100.

4. David Miller vs Hardik Pandya

With 148 runs in seven innings in the T20 World Cup 2024, David Miller has provided crucial support in the middle order. India’s Hardik Pandya has also made his presence felt with his all-round abilities. With the ball, Pandya has scalped eight wickets in seven matches.

In a twist of fate, Miller and Pandya have shared the dressing room while playing for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League 2022 and 2023. In the T20I setup, Pandya has got Miller’s wicket thrice out of six match-ups while Miller has managed 31 runs in 27 balls faced. It’ll be interesting to see how the two players battle it out as rivals on one of cricket’s biggest occasions.

5. Suryakumar Yadav vs Tabraiz Shamsi

After scoring 196 runs in seven games, Suryakumar Yadav is on the list of the top 10 run-getters in this edition of the World Cup. The right-handed batter also has two fifties to his credit. Tabraiz Shamsi, South Africa’s experienced left-arm wrist spinner has also made a difference with 11 wickets in just four games.

In their three T20I face-offs, both players are placed evenly. Suryakumar has plundered the left-arm spinner at a strike rate of 121.43 while Shamsi has removed Suryakumar once. With three boundaries and a maximum, the Indian batter has scored 34 runs in 28 balls against Shamsi.

Former England spinner Monty Panesar backed the Indian team to end their ICC World Cup trophy hiatus and lift the coveted T20 World Cup title, and also made a big prediction about India’s misfiring Virat Kohli. Ahead of the final between the two unbeaten sides of the tournament, India and South Africa, Panesar backed the Rohit Sharma-led side to lift the trophy and predicted that Kohli would score a 100 against the Proteas. “India will win the T20 World Cup final, and Virat Kohli will score 100,” Panesar told ANI.

After enjoying a rich vein of form with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Kohli has been searching for runs from his bat throughout the ongoing edition of the marquee event. Kohli appears to have lost his rhythm while opening for the Indian team alongside skipper Rohit Sharma.

Kohli ended IPL 2024 with the Orange Cap, by racking a whopping 741 runs at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, with a century and five half-centuries.

But in the ongoing T20 World Cup, Kohli’s record is in complete contrast with his IPL figures. In seven matches, Kohli, with all his experience, has struggled to put together a string of performances. He has mustered up just 75 runs at an average of 10.71 throughout the tournament.

The stalwart batter momentarily showed a glimpse of returning to his groove after smoking the ball into the stand over mid-wicket off Reece Topley.

But the English pacer had the last laugh after he dislodged the bails off the stumps, with Kohli attempting to shovel the ball towards the boundary.

Apart from Panesar, Rohit also backed his compatriot to produce a spectacle in Barbados on Saturday against the Proteas.

“He (Kohli) is a quality player. Any player can go through that. We do understand his class, and we do understand his importance in all these big games. Form is never a problem. When you’ve played cricket for 15 years, form is never a problem. He’s looking good, the intent is there, and he’s probably saving for the final. Absolutely (backing Kohli for the final),” Rohit said in the post-match presentation after India’s 68-run over England in the semi-final.