Mumbai: In a match that will be remembered for its nail-biting finish and standout performances, India secured their second ICC T20 World Cup title by defeating South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling final at the Barbados. Also Read: India Clinches Second ICC T20 World Cup Title, Ending 11-Year ICC Trophy Drought
The victory, marked by stellar death bowling and remarkable batting, also witnessed star India batter Virat Kohli announcing his retirement from T20Is, going out on a high with a match-winning knock.
“Speaking after the game in a post-match presentation, Virat said, “This was my last T20 World Cup, this is exactly what we wanted to achieve. One day you feel like you cannot get a run and this happens, God is great. Just the occasion, now or never kind of situation. This was my last T20 game playing for India. We wanted to lift that cup. Not something that I was not going to announce even if we had lost. Time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward. It is been a long wait for us, waiting to win an ICC tournament. You look at someone like Rohit, he has played 9 T20 World Cups and this is my sixth. He deserves it.”
Kohli ends his T20I career with 4,188 runs in 125 matches, averaging 48.69 with a strike rate of 137.04. His contributions include one century and 38 fifties, with a personal best of 122*.
India won the toss and chose to bat first. The innings saw a shaky start, with the team reduced to 34/3. However, a resilient partnership between Virat Kohli (76 off 59 balls) and Axar Patel (47 off 31 balls) helped India recover. Kohli’s innings, featuring six fours and two sixes, came at a crucial moment and restored India’s position in the game. A subsequent 57-run stand between Kohli and Shivam Dube (27 off 16 balls) took India to a competitive total of 176/7.
South Africa’s bowling attack was led by Keshav Maharaj (2/23) and Anrich Nortje (2/26), with Marco Jansen and Aiden Markram each claiming a wicket.
In response, South Africa’s run chase began poorly, with early wickets leaving them at 12/2. Quinton de Kock (39 off 31 balls) and Tristan Stubbs (31 off 21 balls) formed a 58-run partnership to bring their team back into the game. Heinrich Klaasen’s quickfire 52 off 27 balls further threatened India’s victory.
However, India’s bowlers executed a fine exhibition of death bowling. Arshdeep Singh (2/18), Jasprit Bumrah (2/20), and Hardik Pandya (3/20) delivered under pressure, restricting South Africa to 169/8 in their 20 overs.
Kohli’s match-winning performance earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award. His knock of 76 runs in the final marked his only half-century of the tournament, bringing his total to 151 runs in eight innings. Kohli’s overall T20 World Cup record stands at 1,292 runs in 35 matches, making him the highest run-scorer in the tournament’s history.
This victory not only ended India’s 11-year ICC trophy drought but also made them the first team to win the T20 World Cup undefeated. As India celebrates this historic win, the cricketing world bids farewell to one of its greatest T20I players, Virat Kohli, who leaves an indelible mark on the sport.
Follow us on Twitter, Google News, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook for the latest updates and exciting stories.
