On June 29, 2024, at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, the final match of the T20 World Cup was played between India and South Africa. After a nail-biting finale, India finally won their World Cup title after 17 years of winning their first T20 title and 13 years after winning their second ODI title in 2011.
India won the toss and elected to bat, but as the match began, India faced a major setback as three wickets fell quickly. Virat Kohli struck three boundaries off Marco Jansen in the opening over, giving the squad a bright start. But when trying to sweep, Keshav Maharaj took the wicket of Rohit Sharma after hitting a few boundaries. In the same over, Maharaj removed Rishabh Pant from the game, leaving India at 23/2. Shortly after, Suryakumar Yadav was taken off guard by Kagiso Rabada's delivery.
Despite being three wickets down quickly, Virat Kohli and Axar Patel put on 72 runs, the highest-ever partnership by India in any World Cup final. Virat Kohli made 76 runs off 59 balls, leading India to 167/5 in 19 overs. India finishes with 176/7, the highest-ever team score in a T20 World Cup final.
In the second innings, Arshdeep and Bumrah took 2 wickets in the first two overs, putting South Africa in a major setback. Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs counterattack, though, and Klassen smashes 52 off only 33 balls. With six wickets remaining, 30 runs are needed off 30 balls. While it appears that SA would win, Hardik Pandya dismisses Klassen, and India starts to win despite the odds being stacked against them. In the last overs, Bumrah and Arshdeep bowled brilliantly, capturing two more vital wickets. In the last over, Pandya showed his magic, and Suryakumar Yadav pulled off an unbelievable catch to dismiss David Miller. Finally, Pandya removed Rabada from the game, and South Africa was reduced to 169 for eight, helping India win their second T20 World Cup.
The victory was celebrated widely all over the nation, from PM Modi congratulating the team to Bollywood stars sharing their excitement on social media. India defeated South Africa to win the T20 World Cup here on an emotional day, ending their 11-year drought for a worldwide title. South Africa lost by seven runs in the last over.
