Both teams have a lot riding on this final
29 June, 2024
PHOTO: AFP
India and South Africa are set to face off in the T20 World Cup 2024 final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday. This will be India’s first T20 World Cup final appearance since 2014, when they lost to Sri Lanka. The Indian team is under pressure to win their first ICC trophy since 2013.
India has come close to winning several titles recently, including the World Test Championship in 2021 and 2023, but fell short against New Zealand and Australia, respectively. Their best opportunity seemed to be the ODI World Cup in 2023, where they were unbeaten until they lost to Australia in the final.
South Africa, often labeled as "chokers" due to their history of losing crucial matches, has a chance to change that narrative. They have never appeared in an ICC World Cup final before. The team reached the semi-finals in the 2009 and 2014 T20 World Cups but lost to Pakistan and India, respectively. Now, under the leadership of Aiden Markram, they aim to lift their first trophy.
The pitch at Kensington Oval is known for providing early movement and extra bounce, which could make it challenging for batters initially. This makes it crucial for the team winning the toss to consider bowling first to take advantage of these conditions.
Furthermore, heavy rain is expected in Barbados on the day of the final. The rain has already affected several matches in the tournament, including Ireland vs. USA and Sri Lanka vs. Nepal in Florida, and England vs. Scotland in Barbados, leading to washouts or reduced overs. The semi-finals between India and England in Guyana, and Afghanistan and South Africa in Trinidad and Tobago, were also disrupted by rain.
The final match is scheduled to start at 10:30 AM (LOCAL TIME) and 7:30 PM (PST), but rain is predicted from early morning until evening. A reserve day is set for Sunday, with 190 additional minutes allocated for both days. The official match time is from 10:30 AM to 1:20 PM local time, but it could extend to 4:50 PM depending on the weather.
Both teams have a lot riding on this final. India is eager to break their streak of losing finals, while South Africa aims to shed their "chokers" tag. India has shown consistent dominance throughout the tournament, making them the favorites to win. However, South Africa has played some close games and will be motivated to make history.
Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj. Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan
South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs
