T20 World Cup 2024, IND vs SA Final Match Preview

Game details
India vs South Africa, T20 World Cup 2024 final
Bridgetown, June 29, 10.30am local time, 2.30pm GMT
Big Picture – It’s just a cup… right?
There are no legends in life, obviously, but sports do a lot to fix it, so much so that they give gifts like this Saturday, when, at the end of 40 overs – give or take a Super Over – 11 men. you will see the difference between fiction and reality that fiction has never been as good as this one.
In 40 overs – give or take a Super Over – nothing will matter as much as the ball and batting they will be holding in their hands. But after that, whether they win or lose, India and South Africa should be reminded that they are very good teams and different people. Both should be able to share their love with the family. Enjoy their time with their colleagues. They chase after their children. Enjoy the sympathy of their fans. If any of this depends on the color of the medal around their necks, we are doing it really wrong.
Form guide
India WWWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
South Africa WWWWW
Highlights – Jasprit Bumrah and Heinrich Klaasen
Group news
India reached the finals having won six matches out of seven matches (one was rained out) and in almost all of them they were playing well. The last time they were challenged was three weeks ago, on the treacherous ground in New York after posting 119 against Pakistan. The local team has reached the finals having won seven times out of seven and has advanced. Except each time, when the game is on the line, and the pressure is high, they face it. Given all this context, it is unlikely that any team will make any changes (unless South Africa decide that the conditions require an additional seamer).
India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Rishabh Pant (wk), 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.
South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 David Miller, 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Heinrich Klaasen 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi/Ottneil Baartman
Tone and conditions – Hot conditions again
Apart from New York, Kensington Oval has given the most wickets to fast bowlers in the T20 World Cup: 59 at an average of 20.22 and an economy rate of 7.88. There has been one total over 200 but the others have been between 109 and 181 (the last one made by India in the only match one of these finalists has played at this World Cup venue).
Math and trivia
- This is only the seventh T20 World Cup match between India and South Africa. The first four fall within a five-year time frame between 2007 and 2012.
- This tournament has never produced an undefeated champion. That is about to change.
- Not much will separate India and South Africa in the bowling metrics: 56 wickets at an average of 15.21 and an economy rate of 6.42 vs 59 wickets at an average of 15.23 and an economy rate of 5.95
- But hitting is a different story. India averages 25.80 and scores 132.13 with six fifty-plus runs. South Africa averages 21.90 and scores 106.14 with three and fifty overs
Quotes
“You know, I don’t really believe in ‘Do it for somebody’. I love that quote when someone asks someone, ‘Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?’ and he says ‘I want to climb Mount Everest because it’s there’ I want to win this World Cup because it’s not for anyone, it’s not for anyone, it’s there to win.
Indian coach Rahul Dravid about the #DoItForDravid campaign
“It’s a game of cricket. Someone has to win, and someone has to lose in the end. That’s the name of the game. You take it your way. However, you get belief by winning close games and games that you can win. I thought you wouldn’t win. It does a lot for your dressing room and the vibe in the dressing room .
South African captain Aiden Markram about getting to the finals after winning a number of close matches
Alagappan Muthu is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
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