Kensington Oval, Barbados – India edged out South Africa by a narrow margin of 7 runs to clinch their second T20 World Cup title here on Saturday.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, India posted a challenging total of 176/7 on the board. Virat Kohli top-scored for the Men in Blue with a well-composed 76 off 59 deliveries, while Axar Patel chipped in with a valuable knock of 47 runs from just 31 balls. For the Proteas, Keshav Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers, scalping two wickets for 23 runs in his three overs.
In reply, South Africa fell short by just 7 runs, mustering 169/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Heinrich Klaasen (52) and Tristan Stubbs (31) were the only batsmen from the Proteas batting line-up to get going, as the Indian bowlers kept things tight throughout the innings. Hardik Pandya was the most successful Indian bowler, claiming 3 wickets for just 20 runs in his three overs.
With this win, India has ended their 13-year wait for an ICC trophy. This is also their second T20 World Cup title, having won the inaugural edition in 2007.
