India edged South Africa to win their second T20 World Cup title and first since 2007 as an astounding catch from Suryakumar Yadav and excellent death bowling clinched a nerve-shredding seven-run victory in Barbados.
South Africa – playing in their first World Cup final in either T20 or 50-over cricket after winning a semi-final at the eighth attempt against Afghanistan – looked poised to reach their target of 177 when Heinrich Klaasen (52 off 27) took Axar Patel’s 15th over for 24, trimming the requirement to 30 from 30 balls.
However, Jasprit Bumrah (2-18) shipped only six runs combined from the 16th and 18th overs, while Klaasen snicked Hardik Pandya (3-20) behind in between and after the Proteas could muster only four runs off Arshdeep Singh’s 19th, the new ask became 16 off six.
David Miller (21 off 17) then thought he had crunched Hardik’s first-ball full toss for six, only for the twinkle-toed Suryakumar to pull off a spellbinding grab at long-off as he caught the ball, threw it back into play before his momentum took him over the rope, and then pouched it again when he returned to the field – it was a moment as breath-taking as it was important.
South Africa managed only eight further runs as they ended on 169-8 and India became the first team in the history of the Men’s T20 World Cup to go through a whole tournament unbeaten, dashing the Proteas’ hopes of claiming that achievement for themselves.
India had last won a global ICC event at the 2013 Champions Trophy, with their previous World Cup success the 2011 50-over edition on home turf.
This T20 triumph for India comes seven months after they lost the 50-over World Cup final to Australia in Ahmedabad – their only defeat in that competition. History would not repeat itself.
Kohli back in the runs in thrilling World Cup final
Earlier, Player of the Match Virat Kohli (76 off 59 balls) – who has now confirmed his retirement from T20 internationals -ended a slump in form, which had seen him average less than 11 in the tournament with 75 runs in seven innings and a best of 37, by underpinning India’s total of 176-7 after his side had sunk to 34-3 inside five overs.
Rohit Sharma’s men were on the back foot as the skipper (9) and Rishabh Pant (0) both fell sweeping Keshav Maharaj in the second over, with their plight worsening when Suryakumar (3) holed out off Kagiso Rabada three overs later.
But Kohli, who had struck three boundaries in Marco Jansen’s 15-run first over before reining himself in, found a fine ally in the enterprising Axar (47 off 31), with the latter dominating a fourth-wicket stand of 72 from 54 balls before he was brilliantly run out by Quinton de Kock.
Kohli also stitched a half-century alliance with Shivam Dube (27 off 16) as he notched a 38th T20 international fifty from 38 balls prior to being caught at deep midwicket off Jansen in the penultimate over.
India looted the highest score in a Men’s T20 World Cup final, eclipsing the 173-2 Australia posted against New Zealand in the 2021 final in the UAE, but Maharaj (2-23) and Anrich Nortje (2-26) limited their opponents to a gettable score.
It looked out of South Africa’s reach as the Proteas plummeted to 12-2 with Reeza Hendricks (4) bowled by a gorgeous out-swinger from Bumrah and captain Aiden Markram (4) edging Arshdeep behind on the drive.
De Kock (39 off 31) and Tristan Stubbs (31 off 21) rallied the first-time finalists with a quick-fire 58, with the sixes they smoked including one from De Kock off Kuldeep Yadav that went out the ground.
Stubbs was bowled around his legs by Axar but De Kock and Klaasen then added 36 off 23 deliveries and when De Kock was pouched at deep fine leg – straight after hitting a four in that area – Klaasen and Miller pounded boundaries, with Klaasen hammering three in a row off Axar to make South Africa favourites.
However, Bumrah’s frugal two-over spell, which also included castling Jansen, dragged India back into the game and his efforts came in a successful cause as Suryakumar’s scarcely believable catch went a long way to breaking South Africa’s hearts in Bridgetown.
What’s next?
The next global event in men’s cricket is the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan in February and March, at which the host nation will be joined by India, South Africa, England, Australia, New Zealand, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Another T20 World Cup will then be held in India and Bangladesh in early 2026.
Bangladesh will also host the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, with that competition beginning in Dhaka on Thursday October 3 and concluding in the same city on Sunday October 20.
The top two teams in each first-round group will qualify for the semi-finals.
Women’s T20 World Cup groups
- Group A: Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
- Group B: South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Scotland
Every match from the Women’s T20 World Cup will be live on Sky Sports, with England vs South Africa the opening game on Thursday October 3 (10am start UK and Ireland time).
