Two unbeaten teams, India and South Africa, will compete in the T20 World Cup final today at Kensington Oval Stadium in Barbados, starting at 8 pm (Sri Lanka time). Both teams have maintained strong records, with India, led by Rohit Sharma, reaching the final with convincing performances showcasing their all-round capabilities.
South Africa, under Aiden Markram, bounced back strongly after the league stage, boasting a powerful bowling department to challenge India’s strong batting lineup. Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Marco Jansen lead with seam bowling, supported by spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, who are in good form. Captain Aiden Markram aims to achieve a unique double, having led the ICC U-19 World Cup-winning team in 2014 and now eyeing the T20 World Cup in their maiden final appearance.
India seeks to reclaim the trophy they last won in the inaugural 2007 edition, while South Africa enters their first final after seven previous World Cup semi-final defeats across formats, showing heightened determination this time. Skipper Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya are in good form, although concerns about star batter Virat Kohli’s run drought remain for the Indian team.
Throughout this World Cup journey, India has won every game they’ve competed in, with the only setback being the abandoned fixture against Canada in a rain-soaked Lauderhill. Impressive victories over Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Australia secured their spot in the knockout stages as Group 1 winners in the Super Eight. They further solidified their form with a commanding 68-run victory over defending champions England in the semi-final.
South Africa has maintained a perfect record throughout the tournament but faced close challenges in several of their seven matches. Teams like Netherlands, Bangladesh, and Nepal pushed them during the initial group stage, while tournament co-hosts USA also posed a tough match at the start of the Super Eights.
They narrowly won matches against England and West Indies in the second stage with determined efforts. However, they dominated Afghanistan with a decisive nine-wicket win in a low-scoring semi-final affair in Trinidad. However, openers Quinton de Kock and skipper Aiden Markram, along with Reeza Hendricks and Heinrich Klaasen, shoulder the responsibility to build their innings. Meanwhile, Indian pacemen Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to secure early breakthroughs, setting the stage for a battle between South African bowlers and Indian batsmen to decide the winner of this final.
They narrowly defeated England and West Indies in the second stage with strong determination but dominated Afghanistan with a decisive nine-wicket win in a low-scoring semi-final in Trinidad.
Squads
India – Rohit Sharma (Capt ), 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, Mohammed Siraj
South Africa– Aiden Markram (Capt ), 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
Dhammika Ratnaweera
