India Triumphs: Second T20 World Cup Glory in Barbados

Barbados, 29 June: India clinched their second T20 World Cup title at Barbados’ Kensington Oval on 29 June, triumphing over South Africa in a nail-biting last over finish in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final on Saturday. The Men in Blue also ended their 11-year wait for an ICC trophy having last won the Champions Trophy in 2013.

Virat Kohli was the star of the match having scored 76 runs while Indian bowlers deserved credit for pulling off a master class with the ball in the death overs. Bumrah struck early, dismissing Reeza Hendricks in the second over, followed by Arshdeep Singh removing Aiden Markram in the third, which dented South Africa’s chase of 176 runs.

Virat Kohli’s resilient knock of 76 anchored India to a competitive total of 176/7, the highest ever in a T20 World Cup final. Shivam Dube played a crucial role in the final overs, contributing 27 valuable runs.

Earlier, Keshav Maharaj accounted for the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, while Kagiso Rabada dismissed Suryakumar Yadav as India struggled, losing three wickets within the powerplay. Axar Patel displayed fine form with 47 runs before being run out by a brilliant throw from Quinton de Kock.

Set a target of 177 to win their first title ever, South Africa were in the driver’s seat until the last three overs when they needed 27 runs to win from 28 balls but choked yet again. However, a show of class with the ball and then in the field saw India pull off a great win. Suryakumar Yadav’s catch in the final over was decisive as India restricted South Africa to 169/8 in 20 overs and won the T20 World Cup for the first time since 2007.

South Africa got off to a poor start in their innings as they lost Reeza Hendricks (4) and Aiden Markram (4) in the opening three overs. However, the Proteas then recovered well with Tristan Stubbs (31) and Klaasen stitching a partnership of 58 runs for the third wicket. Despite Stubbs’ wicket, Klaasen continued his onslaught with the bat to keep South Africa in the race. His innings consisted of 5 sixes and 2 fours as he scored 52 off just 27 deliveries.

Virat Kohli, India Captain Rohit Sharma retires from T20I
Two of India’s greatest ever cricketers – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – announced their T20I retirements on Saturday, after the side’s second T20 World Cup win. While Kohli announced his retirement minutes after the historic triumph, India captain Rohit Sharma announced it in the official post match press conference.

Virat Kohli ended his T20 International (T20I) career on a strong note by leading India to their second T20 World Cup victory on Saturday. He played a crucial role in the final match, scoring 76 runs and earning the Player of the Match award. Kohli announced that this would be his final T20I match for Team India. He leaves behind a legacy as one of India’s top players in T20I cricket, having scored over 4000 runs.

His retirement marks the end of an illustrious T20I career during which he became the format’s highest scorer, amassing 4231 runs in 159 matches. He also holds the record for the most centuries in T20 internationals, with five to his name. His T20I journey began with the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, where he was a key player in India’s first title win. Now, as captain, he has led India to their second title, further cementing his legacy.

Jasprit Bumrah was crowned the Player of the Tournament for his outstanding bowling performance, having claimed 15 wickets in just eight matches. Virat Kohli clinched the Player of the Match award for his scintillating knock of 76 runs off 59 balls. The Smart Catch of the Match in the final was awarded to Suryakumar Yadav. Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Afghanistan scored the most runs in the tournament (281 runs), while Fazalhaq Farooqi from Afghanistan and India’s Arshdeep Singh jointly claimed the top spot as the leading wicket-takers, each achieving 17 wickets.

(With inputs from agencies)

Mokokchung Times