We are all set and ready for the blockbuster final of the T20 World Cup 2024 between India and South Africa. The Men in Blue will be eyeing their second title, but the Proteas stand in their way as worthy opponents who deserve to win the trophy as much as Rohit Sharma & Co.
South Africa however, are playing their first-ever ICC tournament final and will be under more pressure than India, who haven't won a major trophy in over a decade.
Live Update:
11.30 pm - India (176/7) Beat South Africa (167/7) By Runs To Lift Their 2nd Title, 1st ICC Trophy In 11 Years. Klaasen 52, Bumrah 2/18, Arshdeep 2/20
11.25 pm - WICKET! David Miller c Suryakumar b Pandya 21 (17 balls). South Africa 161/7 (19.1 overs)
11.12 pm - WICKET! Marco Jansen b Bumrah 2 (4 balls). South Africa 156/6 (17.4 overs)
10.57 pm - Herinrich Klaasen may have just taken the gaem away from India by smashing Axar Patel for 24 runs in the 15th over
10.46 pm - WICKET! Quinton de Kock c Kuldeep b Arshdeep 39 (31 balls). South Africa 106/4 (12.3 overs)
10.35 pm - The match ahngs in the balance at the half-way mark of South Africa's chase. Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen and (next to bat) David Miller hold the key for the Proteas. India on the other hand, will be looking for more wickets and take the game away from the opposition with their spinners and Bumrah.
10.27 pm - WICKET! Tristan Stubbs b Axar Patel 31 (21 balls). South Africa 70/3 (8.5 overs)
10.02 pm - WICKET! Aiden Markram c Pant b Arshdeep 4 (5 balls). South Africa 12/2 (2.3 overs)
9.55 pm - WICKET! Reeza Hendricks b Bumrah 4 (5 balls). South Africa 7/1 (1.3 overs)
9.40 pm - Mid-Innings Summary - Team India have ended up with 176 for 7 in 20 overs, the highest score ever posted in a T20 World Cup final. Virat Kohli top-scored with 76 while Axar Patel made 47 after Keshav Maharaj rocked India with the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant in the 2nd over. Is this total enough to win? Only time will tell.
9.36 pm - WICKET! Shivam Dube c Miller b Nortje 27 (16 balls). India 174/6 (19.4 overs)
9.31 pm - WICKET! Virat Kohli c Rabada b Jansen 76 (59 balls). India 163/5 (18.5 overs)
9.18 pm - Virat Kohli brings up his 50 off 48 balls, his first of this tournament. India 130/4 (16.5 overs)
9 pm - WICKET! Axar Patel run out by Quinton de Kock 47 (31 balls). India 106/4 (13.3 ovs)
8.43 pm - After 10 overs, Virat Kohli and Axar Patel have managed to steady the ship after India lost Rohit, Pant and Surya in quick succession. The duo have stitched a 41-run partnership for the 4th wicket with Kohli batting on 36* and Axar on 26*. India should look to target a score of over 150-160 from this stage. India 75/3 (10 ovs)
8.20 pm - WICKET! Suryakumar Yadav c Klaasen b Rabada 3 (4 balls). India 34/3 (4.3 overs)
8.10 pm - WICKET! Rishabh Pant c de Kock b Maharaj 0 (2 balls). India 23/2 (2 overs)
8.07 pm - WICKET! Rohit Sharma c Klaasen 9 (5 balls). India 23/1 (1.4 overs)
8 pm - FOUR, FOUR! Virat Kohli opens his account with back-to-back boundaries against Marco Jansen's full deliveries. He adds another with the final ball. India 15/0 (1 over)
7.30 pm - Toss! India captain Rohit Sharma wins the toss and opts to bat first against South Africa in Barbados. Both the Men in Blue and Proteas are unchanged for this summit clash.
India XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
South Africa XI: 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
7.25 pm - Pitch Report from Nasser Hussain & Ian Bishop: "All numbers around the weather are in the 30s', says Nasser Hussain, '30 degree centigrade, 30% chance of rain (hope that goes to none), and 30km/hr winds and they're important and they're blowing in the direction of the slightly smaller boundary."
7 pm - The Indian cricket team has arrived at the Bridgetown stadium in Barbados
6.23 pm - Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar feels the final will be won by Team India and offered his sympathies to the Proteas.
6.20 pm - This is what the pitch looks like for tonight's big game
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6.15 pm - Here's Jatin Sapru providing us fans with the weather update from the stadium.
6 pm - Hello and Welcome to our Live Blog for the ultimate clash between India and South Africa
Rohit is desperate to lay his hands on a World Cup. This is the third final he's going to be leading the team in less than a year and will be hoping to get third time lucky after heartbreaking defeats in the 2023 World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup loss against Australia.
India are also the favourites as they have the experience of playing 6 World Cup finals before this one, out of which they have won thrice in 1983, 2007 and 2011.
Weather conditions
But past records won't matter when both teams clash in Barbados, where the weather might also have a say in the match due to the overhead conditions which will be overcast throughout with rain threat looming large.
Pitch Report
Outside of New York, Kensington Oval has proven to be a fast bowler’s dream in the T20 World Cup. The pitch here has claimed 59 wickets at an average of 20.22, with an economy rate of 7.88.
Notably, only one total has surpassed 200, with most scores falling between 109 and 181—the highest of which was posted by India in their only game at this venue during the current tournament.
The final will be contested on pitch No. 4, which has previously hosted the matches between Namibia and Oman, and Scotland and England. Positioned as the fourth of eight pitches on the square, it ensures that neither boundary is significantly longer than the other.
Head-to-Head
India and South Africa have faced each other in 26 T20 Internationals (T20Is) to date. India has emerged victorious in 14 of these encounters, while South Africa has won 11 times. One match ended without a result.
In the context of T20 World Cups, India and South Africa have met 6 times. India has won 4 of these matches, whereas the Proteas have triumphed in 2.
