Virat Kohli scored a solid 76 as India defeated South Africa by 7 runs in the final to lift their second T20 World Cup trophy at Bridgetown, Barbados on Saturday. The Proteas needed 27 off 28 at one stage in their chase with six wickets in hand, but some superb bowling from Jasprit Bumrah and a fantastic catch on the boundary from Suryakumar Yadav saw Rob Walter’s men fall apart in the final part of their chase.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, India lost skipper Rohit Sharma (9), Rishabh Pant (0) and Yadav (3) cheaply as they were reduced to 34/3.
The pair of Kohli and Axar Patel featured in a crucial 72 run stand for the fourth wicket stand before the latter was run by a brilliant direct from Quinton De Kock for 47.
Shivam Dube who had struggled throughout the tournament, scored a quickfire 16 ball-27 and his partnership with Kohli helped the Men in Blue make a competitive 176/7 in their 20 overs.
Chaaing 177, Jasprit Bumrah got India off to a fine start by cleaning up Reeza Hendricks with a peach for 4. Arshdeep Singh then dismissed Aiden Markram caught behind off a wide delivery.
De Kock and Tristan Stubbs put on 58 runs for the third wicket before Axar broke the partnership by dismissing the dangerous Stubbs bowled for 31.
De Kock eventually scored a solid 39 in what is likely to be his final international match, before perishing while trying to take on Arshdeep. Heinrich Klaasen kept South Africa in the hunt by scoring a blistering 27 ball-52, which included 24 runs from one Axar over, before he was dismissed while trying to reach a wide delivery from Hardik Pandya.
Klaasen’s dismissal exposed South Africa’s long tail and Bumrah then knocked over Marco Jansen with a superb delivery through the gate. A brilliant penultimate over from Arshdeep brought the equation to 16 off the final over.
David Miller (21) fell to a magnificent juggling catch in the boundary line by Suryakumar Yadav, as South Africa choked again and fell short by 7 runs.
India 176 for 7 (Kohli 76, Axar 47, Maharaj 2-23, Nortje 2-26) vs South Africa 169 for 8 (Klaasen 52, Bumrah 2-18, Arshdeep 2-20, Hardik 3-20) by seven runs