Bridgetown (Barbados), June 29 (IANS) Talismanic batter Virat Kohli stepped up to the plate, ending his lean patch with a 59-ball 76 to help India post a competitive 176/7 against South Africa in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Kensington Oval here on Saturday.

On a dry and slow pitch, South Africa made early inroads by picking three quick wickets. But Kohli stood up to be at the centre of India’s innings, despite a middle-overs slowdown, with his crucial knock laced with six fours and two sixes, as they posted the highest total in a Men’s T20 World Cup final.

It was a knock in which Kohli scored more than what his first seven innings in the tournament yielded (75 runs). His 72-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Axar Patel, who made 47 off 31 balls, and a 57-run partnership with Shivam Dube, who hit a 16-ball 27, helped India go past the 175-run mark, as they hammered 42 runs off the last three overs.

Kohli got India going with three boundaries – drive through point, whip through square leg, and straight drive – on overpitched deliveries from Marco Jansen, as 15 runs came off the opening over. Rohit Sharma cut and reverse-swept for consecutive boundaries off Keshav Maharaj.

But Maharaj bounced back as he had Rohit sweeping aerially to square-leg to fall for nine, followed by dismissing Rishabh Pant for a two-ball duck when the top-edge on his sweep off a full and wide ball ballooned off the toe-end to keeper Quinton de Kock.

Kagiso Rabada struck in the fifth over when Suryakumar Yadav moved across to whip a back-of-a-length ball, but fine leg advanced to his left and took a spectacular catch, ending his stay on just three, as India were reduced to 34/3 in 4.3 overs.

With Kohli taking up the busy strike-rotation role in rebuilding India’s innings, pinch-hitter Axar took up the attacking mantle by clipping Rabada for four, clearing deep mid-wicket to get a six off Markram, slog-sweeping Maharaj for a maximum over the same region and hitting a flat six down on one knee to just clear long-on for a six off Tabraiz Shamsi.

Axar brought up India’s hundred in 13.1 overs by hammering Rabada for a six down the ground. But a ball and wide later, South Africa produced a moment of magic when Kohli missed a delivery and the ball went behind to de Kock, who ran out Axar, who turned back and ran slowly, with a direct hit and sent him back for 47.

With Kohli still finding fielders and not getting timing to hit boundaries, Dube lofted Jansen for six and then slog-sweep Shamsi for four more. After Kohli got his first fifty of this tournament, in 48 balls with a single off Nortje, Dube ended the 17th over with a slice past the backward point for four.

Kohli got his first six of the competition by slogging Rabada over long-on and then pulled the pacer for four more, as 16 runs came off the 18th over. Kohli clipped and slogged Jansen for four and six respectively, before the pacer dragged his length back and had the batter holing out to long-on.

Hardik Pandya came in and top-edged a pull off Jansen over the keeper’s head for four, as 17 runs came off the 19th over. Dube struck Nortje down the ground past a diving mid-on for four, before the pacer bounced back by taking out him and Ravindra Jadeja on the last three balls of the innings to keep India four runs below 180.

Brief scores:

India 176/7 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 76, Axar Patel 47; Keshav Maharaj 2-23, Anrich Nortje 2-26) against South Africa

–IANS

nr/bsk/

Bridgetown (Barbados), June 29 (IANS) Ahead of facing South Africa in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup final, India batter Suryakumar Yadav said he is aware of the strengths he has and is backing himself to come good in the side’s quest to win the elusive trophy.

In this tournament so far, Suryakumar has scored 196 runs in seven innings at an average of 32.66, including hitting crucial half-centuries against the USA and Afghanistan. With Kensington Oval having a short square boundary on one side, Suryakumar will be expected to make the most of it.

“Excited by my role. Have always enjoyed it. Wind direction plays a big role here. Know what my strengths are and back myself. Back of the mind, it feels really good to know I have a good record against South Africa but you have to start afresh on the day. (Conversations last night) Sleep well, stay fresh, stay hydrated,” said Suryakumar in a pre-match chat with the broadcasters.

With India playing their third T20 World Cup final, Suryakumar admitted there is pressure of playing a big title clash. “Playing in the final is not easy. Easy to say it’s just another game, there is pressure. But if there is no pressure, there is no fun.”

Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket broadcast feed, former England captain Nasser Hussain said he is expecting India to win the title clash and end their 11-year trophy drought.

“India’s batting line-up. Their pace attack. Their spinners. They have every base covered. And a slight advantage is that they have played a game here in Barbados and South Africa haven’t.”

“South Africa have got that monkey off their back of losing seven semifinals and if the pressure can be off, then it shifts to India. India have not won a title for a very long time. For all their resources and the players they have, they feel it is about time to win it and all of India will be expecting them to win it.”

Hussain also feels talismanic batter Virat Kohli should bat in his usual way. Kohli has amassed just 75 runs in eight innings as an opener alongside captain Rohit Sharma. “He can be the glue the other players bat around.”

“He suffered from batting on that tough New York pitch, and he has been in the nets trying to get the rhythm of batting. If he bats for three or four overs that timing comes back. And, in the end, in a big game, under pressure, who will India want? Kohli.”

–IANS

nr/bsk/

Bridgetown (Barbados), June 29 (IANS) India won the toss and elected to bat first against South Africa in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Kensington Oval on Saturday. This is the first instance of two unbeaten teams facing off in a Men’s T20 World Cup final.

Kensington Oval has hosted eight matches of this tournament, with teams batting first winning three games, while teams batting second have also emerged victorious three times. The last two matches at this venue have been won by teams chasing.

After winning the toss, India captain Rohit Sharma said they are fielding an unchanged playing eleven from their 68-run victory over England in the semifinal in Guyana.

“Looks like a good pitch. We’ve played one game here, and the scores have been really good. Just about understanding individual roles, I know it’s a big occasion but it’s important to remain calm and play it like it’s another international game against a good team.”

“South Africa have played some good cricket but so have we. It’s going to be a really good game between two quality teams. Different individuals have stepped up at different times and that’s what we’re looking forward to today as well.”

Saturday’s final will be played on the pitch which previously hosted two games in the tournament: England-Scotland clash was washed out due to rain, while the Oman-Namibia game was a low-scoring affair which went into a Super Over, where Namibia won.

South Africa skipper Aiden Markram said he would have preferred to bat first as well. “The pitch looks dry. But we get the first crack with the ball so hopefully we can do well. At times we haven’t been at our best but we’ve still managed to win and we take confidence from that.”

“Perfect isn’t possible but we want to be as close as possible to that. There’s absolutely no pressure on us, we’ve never been in a final and we just want to enjoy it and be at our best.”

The two sides have met at the Men’s T20 World Cup on six occasions so far, with India winning four of those. The last time these two teams met in the Men’s T20 World Cup, South Africa won by five wickets at Perth.

India and South Africa have also faced off once in a Men’s T20 World Cup knockout match – the semifinal at Mirpur in 2014, where the MS Dhoni-led side won by six wickets. India are looking for its first T20 World Cup title since 2007, with a quest to win a global trophy running for over 11 years. South African men’s side are making their first World Cup final appearance.

Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (captain), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi

–IANS

nr/bsk/

Kolkata, June 29 (IANS) Former India cricketers, Manoj Tiwary, Venkatesh Prasad and Narendra Hirwani have been roped in by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) for their Vison 2028 project. As per a statement from CAB, the first phase of the project will get underway from June 30 till July 7.

Tiwary, who ended his playing career earlier this year during the Ranji Trophy with 10,195 first-class cricket runs, will be the batting coach. Prasad, who served as bowling coach in India’s 2007 Men’s T20 World Cup triumph in South Africa, will be the fast-bowling coach.

Hirwani, who took 16 wickets on his Test debut against the West Indies at Madras in 1987/88, will be taking charge of the spin-bowling department. The trio were present in a brainstorming session about ‘Vision 2028’ with the CAB office bearers led by President Snehasish Ganguly.

“The first phase will feature the U16 and U19 cricketers. While the short-term goal of the three wise men will be to get the various age group squads, including the Senior Bengal side, ready for the domestic season polishing their skills, the long-term goals will include ready the future talents and integrating them with various Bengal age-group squads,” said the CAB.

Also present in the session were Vice President Amalendu Biswas and Joint Secretary Debabrata Biswas, as well as various age group coaches in the state. Previously, the CAB had run a ‘Vision 2020’ project, which had India batting great VVS Laxman as the batting consultant and Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan as the spin bowling consultant.

–IANS

nr/bsk/

New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) South African cricket yearns for its maiden ICC trophy as the Aiden Markram-led side makes its first-ever entry into the final, at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Barbados on Saturday. South Africa will face India at the Kensington Oval in what promises to be a cracking encounter as the two unbeaten teams will battle it out for the ultimate crown.

Ahead of the highly anticipated match, one of South Africa’s best-ever cricket players, AB de Villiers took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his thoughts about the game.

“The moment of truth has arrived. South Africans have been waiting for 33 years to see the Proteas play in an ICC World Cup final. After so many heartbreaks, we know all about them. South Africa will play India in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados on Saturday and I am backing the Proteas to win. It will be close as we all know India are a team of superstars but I believe South Africa’s time has come,” said De Villiers in a video posted on X.

The Proteas have been in top form through the course of the tournament and have beaten the likes of West Indies and England to storm their way to the semifinals of the World Cup where they decimated the Afghanistan batting lineup and bundled the side out for 56 runs and went on to win by nine wickets.

No side has ever gone unbeaten throughout the T20 World Cup but history will be written on Saturday South Africa face unbeaten opposition in India.

–IANS

aaa/bsk/