India edged South Africa to win their second T20 World Cup title and first since 2007 as an astounding catch from Suryakumar Yadav and excellent death bowling clinched a seven-run win in Barbados.
South Africa – playing in their first World Cup final in either T20 or 50-over cricket after winning a semi-final at the eighth attempt against Afghanistan earlier this week – looked poised to reach their target of 177 when Heinrich Klaasen (52 off 27) took Axar Patel’s 15th over for 24, trimming the ask to 30 from 30 balls.
However, Bumrah conceded only six runs combined from the 16th and 18th overs, while Klaasen snicked Hardik Pandya behind in between and after the Proteas could muster only four runs off Arshdeep Singh’s 19th, the new requirement became 16 off six.
David Miller then thought he had crunched Hardik’s first-ball full toss for six, only for Suryakumar to pull off a spellbinding grab at long off as he caught the ball, threw it back into play before he tumbled over the rope, and then pouched it again when he returned to the field.
South Africa managed only eight further runs as they ended on 169-8 and India became the first team in the history of the Men’s T20 World Cup to go through a tournament unbeaten, dashing the Proteas’ hopes of claiming that achievement for themselves.
More to follow.