IND vs SA: Three key moments which helped India to beat South Africa and win T20 World Cup after 17 years

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IND vs SA: India ended their 11-year wait for an ICC trophy by beating South Africa by seven runs to win the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, June 29.

Chasing a record 177-run target, South Africa were well on course for an easy win as they needed just 30 runs from the last five overs. However, in a miraculous turn of events, India managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

IND vs SA: Three Reasons Why India Defeated South Africa To Win T20 World Cup 2024

• The sublime knock from Virat Kohli: After India defeated England in the semi-final, captain Rohit Sharma said that Virat Kohli was saving his best for the finals. The prophecy turned out to be true as Virat Kohli top-scored for his team with 76 off 59 balls.

India were three down for 34 and needed their most experienced batter to stand in the middle. Kohli loves the big stage and he proved it by staying in the middle until the 19th over.

Kohli, who had scored 75 from seven innings before the final, brought up his first T20 World Cup 2024 fifty off 48 balls. But later, upped the ante with two four and two sixes to help India post the highest total in the T20 World Cup final.

• Exceptional death over bowling: Just 30 runs needed off the last five overs and South Africa had six wickets in hand. Free-flowing Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller were in the middle, but the pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya showed nerves of steel to stun South Africa and the world.

Bumrah gave away four runs in the 16th over, Pandya a 4-run 17th over with the wicket of Klaasen, Bumrah a 2-run 18th over with the wicket of Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh four runs in the 19th over and Hardik Pandya eight runs and two wickets in the 20th over.

The juggernaut from the India pacers started right after Klaasen blasted 24 runs off the 15th from Axar Patel. His wicket on the first ball of the 17th over, turned the match on its head.

• Suryakumar Yadav's catch: 16 runs were needed off the final over from Hardik Pandya and David Miller almost hit the first ball for a six. Suryakumar Yadav grabbed the catch of his life at the long-off boundary.

He covered a good distance on his left to take a running catch sideways using both his hands. The momentum took him past the boundary rope but he showed presence of mind to juggle the ball out of his hands before returning back in the playing field to complete a stunner.

Had that ball gone for a six, the equation would have come down to 10 off 5, and anything would have been possible with 'Killer Miller' on strike. In the group stage match against Netherlands, Miller had hit match-winning 59 not out runs off 51 balls to help South Africa chase 104 after they were four down for 12.