Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli clinch T20 World Cup title for India
India ended their decade long wait for a major title as they kept their cool in a sensational clash against South Africa, securing a narrow seven-run win in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados on Saturday.
Virat Kohli had struggled the entire tournament but reserved his best for the last as he hit a composed 76 from 59 balls to help post a competitive 176-7.
In reply, South Africa started poorly but then accelerated in the middle overs brilliantly. Quinton de Kock (39) and Tristian Stubbs (31) put them back on track before Heinrich Klaasen threw the game wide open by smashing 52 from 27 balls.
Klaasen seemed to have ended the contest when he smashed spinner Axar Patel for 24 runs, with two sixes and two fours.
The Proteas needed just 30 from 30 balls with their first ever world title there for the taking. Hardik Pandya then brought India back into the contest, getting Klaasen out caught behind.
The Indian seamers then turned up the heat in the death overs as the equation became tougher for the Proteas.
Jasprit Bumrah gave away just two runs in the 18th over and Arshdeep Singh just four in the penultimate over. That meant Pandya got to bowl the last over with 16 needed and the dangerous David Miller (21) on strike.
Hardik STRIKES!