The two unbeaten teams in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup will face off in Saturday’s grand final at the storied Kensington Oval, concluding the 26-day cricket spectacle that has captivated the region.
South Africa will be chasing their first-ever T20 World Cup title and their first global honor, having frequently reached the knockout stages of major competitions over the last two decades but falling short of ultimate victory.
India, on the other hand, is seeking their second T20 World title, following their triumph in the inaugural tournament 17 years ago. This would also be their first global title since winning the 50-over World Cup 13 years ago when they co-hosted the tournament with Sri Lanka.
Favorites
The Asian giants enter the contest as favorites, particularly after their commanding 68-run victory over dethroned champions England in Thursday’s second semi-final at the Guyana National Stadium.
“I think it’s good that we are consistent and playing good cricket,” said India coach Rahul Dravid. “For many years, especially in the last year, being number one in all three formats and playing in the finals is a good thing. It gives a lot of credit to the boys – a lot of boys who are Test cricketers, who are our one-day players, and also our T20 players. So Indian cricket has shown a lot of consistency, and it is a very happy thing. And … if we play well and if we have the rub of the green, then we will win.”
Captain Rohit Sharma and the fast bowling duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh have been pivotal in India’s dominant campaign. Rohit has accumulated 248 runs at an average of 41 and a strike rate of 155, while Arshdeep leads the bowling with 15 wickets, followed by Bumrah with 14 and left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav with 10.
South Africa’s strength has been their bowling attack, with speedster Anrich Nortje (13 wickets), veteran seamer Kagiso Rabada (12), and left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (11) delivering match-winning performances. Left-handed opener Quinton de Kock has led their batting with 204 runs at an average of 25, though no other batsman has surpassed 150 runs for the tournament.
Impressive semi-final
Captain Aiden Markram acknowledged the challenges faced by batsmen in the tournament. “It’s been tough as a batter, but I suppose either way, as a captain – whether it’s batting or bowling friendly – it’s your unit that’s putting performances in for you to get the wins,” Markram said. “I think T20 cricket as a whole throughout the world now has pretty much been a batter-friendly game, so I guess it’s been nice to see for the bowlers, and something nice for the bowlers to work with. But from a batting point of view, it’s been pretty challenging.”
South Africa also enjoyed an impressive semi-final, thrashing Afghanistan by nine wickets at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad after dismissing the Asian side for a paltry 56.
The two teams will be meeting in an ICC final for the first time, with the match set to bowl off at 9:30 a.m. (Jamaica time).
SQUADS:
India – Rohit Sharma (captain), 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, Mohammad Siraj
South Africa – Aiden Markram (captain), 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
Umpires: Christopher Gaffaney, Richard Illingworth; TV – Richard Kettleborough.
