BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Superstar Virat Kohli reserved his finest innings of the Twenty20 World Cup for Saturday’s grand final at Kensington Oval here, as India held their nerve to capture their second ICC T20 title with an anxious six-run victory over South Africa.
Playing in what he said afterward was his final T20 International, the 35-year-old right-hander carved out a brilliant 76 off 59 deliveries as India recovered from a stuttering start to gather 176 for seven off their 20 overs after choosing to bat first.
With just 75 runs from his previous seven innings, Kohli turned the page on that ordinary form, starting slowly before flourishing to belt a half-dozen fours and a brace of sixes.
In pursuit of the highest total ever in a T20 World Cup final, South Africa looked to be in a winning position when they reached 151 for four at the start of the 16th, Heinrich Klaasen top-scoring with 52, Quinton de Kock lashing 39 and Tristan Stubbs chiming in with 31.
But with 26 runs required from the last four overs, seamers Hardik Pandya (3-20), Jasprit Bumrah (2-18), and Arshdeep Singh (2-20) turned the screws on South Africa, drying up the scoring and making critical strikes to earn India a sensational win.
“It’s tough to sum up what we’ve been through for the last three, four years. We’ve worked hard as individuals and as a team,” said India captain Rohit Sharma.
“A lot has gone on behind the scenes for us to be here today and winning this game. It’s not what we did today; it’s what we’ve been doing for the last three or four years. That’s the result that has come for us today.
“We’ve played a lot of high-pressure games as well, and we’ve been on the wrong side of [them] as well, so guys do understand when the pressure is on and what needs to be done.
“Today was a perfect example of what is required when your back is against the wall.”
For South Africa, the heartbreak was amplified as they once again came up short in their quest for their first-ever global title, having previously fallen at the semi-final seven times.
“It’s tough. This group’s a great bunch of people. In my opinion, they deserve perfect things to go their way,” lamented captain Aiden Markram.
“I had an excellent feeling about this competition before we came here, and as the competition went on, that feeling got stronger and stronger.
“So [it’s] pretty tough to deal with now, but it’s a sport at the end of the day – someone’s going to win, someone’s going to lose.”
India slumped early on when Rohit (9), Rishabh Pant (0), and Suryakumar Yadav (3) all fell cheaply, left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj (2-23) striking twice in the fifth over to leave the innings tottering on 34 for three.
Kohli then masterminded India’s recovery, putting on 72 for the fourth wicket with Axar Patel (47) and a further 56 for the fifth wicket with Shivan Dube (27) before holing out in the deep in the penultimate over.
Axar blasted four and four sixes in a 31-ball cameo, while Dube counted three fours and a six in a 16-ball knock.
In reply, South Africa was reeling at 12 for two in the third over after a jaffer from Bumrah bowled Reeza Hendricks (4), and Markram (4) edged a wide delivery from Arshdeep behind.
Left-hander de Kock, who faced 31 balls and struck four fours and a six, posted 58 for the third wicket with Stubbs before adding a fourth 36 for the fourth with Klaasen, who blasted two fours and five sixes off 27 deliveries.
When de Kock holed out to deep backward square off Arshdeep in the 13th over, Klaasen stepped up to post a further 45 for the fifth wicket with David Miller (21) before South Africa lost four wickets for 17 runs, as India hit back.
and then 