Barbados, JUN 29: In a high-stakes encounter at the Kensington Oval, Barbados, India’s captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa.

Sharma, speaking after the toss, acknowledged South Africa’s strong performance throughout the tournament and emphasized the importance of maintaining composure against a formidable opponent.

“It’s about understanding each player’s role, staying calm, and treating this like any international match against a top-tier team,” Sharma remarked, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s skipper Aiden Markram expressed his confidence in batting first had his team won the toss, noting the dry pitch conditions.

“The pitch looks pretty dry. We’re aiming for that perfect game today, despite the pressure. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us, being in our first final,” Markram commented.

Both teams have opted for unchanged playing XIs from their respective semi-final victories, highlighting their confidence in the current lineup.

India’s last appearance in a T20 World Cup final dates back to 2014, where they were defeated by Sri Lanka in Dhaka, while their last ICC trophy victory was in 2013. The team under Sharma faces significant pressure to end this title drought.

In contrast, South Africa, notorious for faltering in crucial matches (“chokers” in cricketing terms), are making their maiden appearance in a T20 World Cup final. Despite reaching the semi-finals in 2009 and 2014, they fell short against Pakistan and India, respectively.

Playing XIs
India: 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: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Heinrich Klaasen, 5 David Miller, 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi.