Ego can be a great servant but a terrible master is what they say, so in a world full of philosophers, can they become an alchemist? India will take on South Africa in the T20 World Cup final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, June 29 with history and heartache on the line for both teams. (Match Blog | Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
Before the all-important clash kicks off under the skies in Bridgetown, here are the five talking points ahead of the game.
Pressure Is A Privilege?
India have been a ridiculously consistent unit having made three finals in ICC tournaments in the last 12 months. Since having won an ICC trophy, they have reached the 2014 T20 World Cup final, semis of the ODI World Cup in 2015, yet another semis in the 2016 T20 World Cup, a Champions Trophy final in 2017, semis in the ODI World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2022, and also making the finals in the World Test Championship in 2021 and 2023.
However, they have not been able to cross the finish line. Can Rohit Sharma and Co come out on top with history stacked against them at the Kensington Oval in Barbados come finals day?
Gold Out Of Tshwane’s Treasury
March 1, 2014, an 19-year-old Aiden Markram led South Africa to their first-ever U-19 World Cup title. A decade later, Markram became the first man to lead them to their first-ever T20 World Cup final. The 29-year-old has never lost a final, winning both SA20 titles in 2023 and ‘24.
Never looking beyond the match that was ahead, Markram’s meticulous planning and preparation has played a key role in where South Africa stand. Can a nation’s dream turn into a reality at the biggest stage of all under one of their favourite sons?
Virat Kohli’s Form
India’s milestone man has been under some immense pressure heading into the final having not made a significant score in the T20 World Cup. He has just managed to score 75 runs in seven innings at an average of 10.71 with a strike rate of just 100, opening the batting.
Five of his last seven innings have been single-figure scores, making it one of the worst-ever T20 World Cup in terms of personal figures. However, Kohli has shown glimpses of promise, bits of magic, and will be looking to turn his campaign slump in the summit clash of the T20 carnival.
Spin It To Win It?
India’s spin triplets against South Africa’s twins. The spin department of both sides will play a crucial role and will carry a lot of weight on their shoulders. Regardless of the surface, spin will play a significant role and is an important weapon to have in the arsenal. India’s trio has picked 19 wickets while the Proteas duo has 18 to their name. Can the spinners weave magic and spin their side to the T20 World Cup trophy on a tricky Kensington Oval surface?
Swing, Seam, And The Seesaw
The fast bowling talent is there to see. Arsheep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Anrich Nortje. That is buckloads of innate ability to seam it around, swing it to make the new rock talk. Pace bowling is one area where the two finalists do not lack options.
The seesaw would strike the right balance, with the pace arsenal slightly tilted towards South Africa. However, Hardik Pandya has turned all the boos into cheers, having made an instrumental contribution, giving the side more than just balance. Can they do it under the pressure of history when there’s a lot at stake will be the million dollar question.
With the clock ticking away real quick, the T20 World Cup has a piece of history for the teams too. Never has this tournament found a winner that has stayed unbeaten throughout, and will change under the Barbados skies.
