Kathmandu, June 28
The final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, currently taking place in the West Indies, will witness a thrilling clash between India and South Africa. South Africa secured their first-ever final berth by defeating Afghanistan by 9 wickets in the first semi-final on Thursday morning.
In the second semi-final held on Thursday night, India earned their spot in the final for the third time by overcoming defending champions England with a decisive 68-run victory. The final match is scheduled to be held in Barbados on Saturday at 8:15 pm. India has previously won the championship in 2007 and finished as runners-up in 2014.
Both India and South Africa have reached the final unbeaten. South Africa has won all 8 of their matches, while India remains undefeated in 7 matches. In Group A, India triumphed over Ireland by 8 wickets, Pakistan by 6 runs, and the USA by 7 wickets, with their match against Canada being abandoned due to rain.
During the Super 8 stage, India defeated Afghanistan by 47 runs, Bangladesh by 50 runs, and Australia by 24 runs.
Conversely, South Africa emerged as group winners by defeating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets, the Netherlands by 4 wickets, Nepal by 1 run, and Bangladesh by 4 runs in the group stage. In the Super Six stage, they beat England by 7 runs, the West Indies by 3 wickets, and the USA by 18 runs.
The bowlers have been instrumental in propelling both India and South Africa to the final. For South Africa, fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Marco Jansen have been formidable, supported by spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi.
India’s pace attack is led by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, with spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja also making significant contributions.
South Africa boasts T20 specialist batsmen such as Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, and Tristan Stubbs. Meanwhile, India’s lineup features match-winners like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Rishabh Pant.
The stage is set for an exhilarating finale as these two unbeaten teams vie for the coveted T20 World Cup trophy.
