It's India vs South Africa in T20 WC 2024 finals; fans hope Men in Blue break ICC trophy jinx

Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, defeated England by 68 runs to reach the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup final. Key performances by Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel helped secure the win. Chasing 172, England crumbled for 103. India will face South Africa in the final on June 29.

Vinaykumar Patil

First Published Jun 28, 2024, 8:37 AM IST

Team India, led by the dynamic Rohit Sharma, has stormed into the final of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup by defeating reigning champions England by a massive 68 runs. With outstanding performances from Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav, and a formidable spin attack by Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, India convincingly entered the title round. This victory also avenges their defeat in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final. England, chasing a target of 172, crumbled for just 103 runs, crashing out of the tournament. India will now face South Africa in the final on June 29.

At the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium, Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah delivered early blows to the English team, which was chasing a challenging target. Patel dismissed the dangerous Jos Buttler, who scored 23 off 15 balls, setting the tone for England’s collapse. England's top order faltered as Phil Salt was dismissed for 5 by Bumrah, and both Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow departed without scoring.

'Mubarak': Taliban FM speaks to Rashid over video call, congratulates Afghanistan for T20 WC 2024 feat (WATCH)

Axar Patel shone with his exceptional bowling, taking a wicket with the first ball of his initial three overs. Despite some resistance from Harry Brook (25), Liam Livingstone (11), and Jofra Archer (21), England couldn't recover and were bowled out for 103 runs in 16.4 overs.

Historic final after a decade:

India last reached the T20 World Cup final in 2014, where they lost to Sri Lanka. Now, after nearly a decade, the team has another shot at the title. The Men in Blue have shown a lethal bowling attack throughout the tournament, with Patel and Kuldeep Yadav each taking three wickets in this match, and Bumrah adding two more to his tally.

T20 WC 2024: We proved Brian Lara right, says Afghanistan's Rashid Khan after entering 1st-ever semis (WATCH)

After losing the toss, India was put to bat and faced early setbacks with the dismissals of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant before reaching 40 runs. However, a crucial 73-run partnership between captain Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav steadied the innings. Sharma dazzled with a quick 57 off 39 balls, including six fours and two sixes, before falling to Adil Rashid. Yadav also played a vital role, scoring 47 off 36 balls with four fours and two sixes, eventually getting out to Jofra Archer.

In the final overs, Hardik Pandya contributed 23 runs off 13 balls, while Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten on 17, and Axar Patel added a quick 10 runs.

As India prepares to face South Africa in the final, fans are hopeful that the team will break their ICC trophy drought and lift the T20 World Cup trophy.

Last Updated Jun 28, 2024, 8:36 AM IST