New Delhi, India
Seven months after their unfortunate loss in the ODI World Cup final, Team India will have one more shot at glory as they take on South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup. The contest which will be the first time India and South Africa play in a major World Cup final will see one of the two teams end as the invincible champions. Rohit Sharma’s side will start as the favourites on paper in the summit clash on Saturday (June 29) at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados but South Africa can’t be taken lightly as they too enter the final with an unbeaten record.
BELIEVE ???? @BCCI pic.twitter.com/yEReghuBKC
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) June 27, 2024
India eye glory
Having missed out on the ODI World Cup title in November in their own backyard, India will have the opportunity to erase the sorrowful memories on Saturday. One area of concern will be the form of Virat Kohli and Shivam Dube with both unable to find their best form in the tournament. Virat has scored 75 runs in seven matches so far while Dube has hardly contributed to the Indian batting. India will rely heavily on the services of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya in the batting while Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav will be key to their success with the ball.
India will be expected to go unchanged for the final contest as they are unlikely to change the winning combination. This also means that Mohammed Siraj will have to be content with a place on the bench.
Can South Africa go all the way?
Aiden Markram’s side will step in their maiden World Cup final at the senior level considering they lost at the semifinal stage in the last 32 years in different tournaments. The Proteas have been flawless until this point and will look to continue their impressive run. They will heavily depend on the batting form of Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Markram and David Miller while the bowling responsibility will lie on the shoulders of Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi.
ALSO READ | T20 World Cup Final: Warning signs for Team India as Richard Kettleborough set to officiate in summit clash
Predicted Playing XI
India Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
South Africa Predicted XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi
IND vs SA, T20 World Cup 2024: Final Match details
Match: India vs South Africa, T20 World Cup 2024 Final
Venue: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
Date & Time: Saturday, June 29, 8:00 PM (IST)
Live Streaming Details: Star Sports Network, Hotstar app and website