India has reached the T20 World Cup final after nearly a decade. They want to finish on a positive note.
No defending champion has ever made it to a consecutive T20 World Cup final. And Rohit Sharma’s India ensured that tradition continued with a dominant 68-run victory against the 2022 T20 World Champions, England.
India is now set to play the final after almost 10 years and will face South Africa. It’ll be in the highly anticipated T20 World Cup 2024 final on Saturday at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. Surprisingly, IND and South Africa are the only teams in this tournament that have not lost a match. Given the huge job at hand, let’s look at how India might defeat South Africa in the final.
India’s Spin Trio Appears a Threat to South Africa
So far, Rohit Sharma has made the most of the sluggish pitches in Caribbean settings. The Indian spin bowling quartet of Kuldeep Yadav (10), Axar Patel (8), and Ravindra Jadeja (1) has taken 19 wickets in the event. Almost in 47 overs at a collective economy rate of 6.66.
Tactically, these spinners have done the majority of the damage in the middle overs (7-15) of the competition. This will potentially expose South Africa’s middle order in the forthcoming Grand Final at Kensington Oval.
- Ravindra Jadeja has two wickets in three matches with an economy rate of 12.14.
- Kuldeep Yadav: He took two wickets in one match, at an economy rate of 8.0.
- Axar Patel: One wicket in one match, at an economy rate of 5.0.
India’s Aggressive Batting Despite Kohli’s Poor Form
There’s something unique about this T20 World Cup! This time, Virat Kohli is not among IND’s top five run scorers. Surprisingly, Kohli is experiencing a batting slump, scoring only 75 runs in seven innings.
However, Team India is still posting solid totals in this event. Credit goes to Rishabh Pant (171 runs), and Rohit Sharma (248 runs). Plus, Suryakumar Yadav (196 runs), and Hardik Pandya (139 runs).
With practically all bases covered, IND’s batting order appears dangerous. Thus, all the way down to Axar Patel at No. 8.
Caribbean Pitches Give India An Advantage
India’s performance in the Super 8s and Semi-Final against England has been outstanding. The sluggish grounds in the West Indies have provided IND’s spinners and fast bowlers with real variety.
Furthermore, the circumstances mirror India’s cricketing climate, allowing captain Rohit Sharma to make confident judgments in the middle. So, on Saturday, IND will be at home versus South Africa at the Kensington Oval.
Mohammed Siraj was replaced by Yadav following the USA leg of the series. And the Jasprit Bumrah-led pace battery. He made a joke of the batting lines they have faced.
Arshdeep Singh (15 wickets), is India’s best wicket-taker. He has begun the competition with the ball. He, along with all-rounder Hardik Pandya (8 wickets), has formed a fast bowling partnership with Bumrah (13 wickets) that might pose a significant danger to South Africa’s top order.
India Needs to Erase Its 11-year Trophy Drought
While India won the first T20 World Cup in 2007. Since then, they haven’t won a World Cup since 2011, and their most recent ICC trophy came in 2013’s Champions Trophy. Yet, they have come close to winning an ICC tournament. But have suffered disappointment on countless occasions.
The Men in Blue now have a chance to break their ICC tournament drought. It is perhaps the most motivating factor for India to beat South Africa on Saturday. Let’s see who will wear the 2024 T20 World Cup Winner crown! What’s your favorite team in today’s clash? Tell us in the comments!