Kensington Oval (Agencies): In a nail-biting final at Kensington Oval, India emerged victorious in the T20 World Cup, defeating South Africa by a mere seven runs. Led by Virat Kohli’s impressive 76, India posted a competitive total of 176-7. However, Heinrich Klaasen’s explosive 52 from 27 balls threatened to snatch victory for South Africa.
Hardik Pandya’s crucial bowling performance (3-20) ensured that India defended their total. Despite a low-scoring tournament overall, the Proteas fought back with Quinton de Kock (39) and Tristan Stubbs (31). Klaasen’s aggressive play, including smashing Axar Patel for 24 runs in an over, shifted the momentum in South Africa’s favor.
Yet, when Klaasen was dismissed, caught behind off Pandya, South Africa needed just 26 runs from the last 23 balls. Jasprit Bumrah’s disciplined bowling in the penultimate over restricted South Africa to only two runs, leaving them with a daunting task in the final over.
With 16 runs required, Pandya’s full-toss was met with a powerful strike by Miller. However, Suryakumar Yadav’s sensational boundary catch—tossing the ball back into play before stepping over the ropes—sealed the win for India.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the team’s “historic” success, while the International Cricket Council recognized Kohli as an “icon of the game” upon his T20i retirement announcement.