It has been a really, really long wait, either ways, whichever side you support. Heavyweights India have endured 17 years without a T20 World Cup trophy and 13 years since they last laid their hands on an ICC trophy (the 2011 ODI World Cup). For South Africa, the wait has been kind of eternal, so to speak. The Proteas will be making their first appearance in the final of a global tournament.
After criss-crossing the United States and the West Indies, the two best teams in the tournament stand on the threshold of global glory. The two unbeaten teams go up against each other in the title tilt in Barbados, West Indies on Saturday evening.
And it will perhaps come down to who is hungrier of the two.
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And while South Africa will be looking to win their maiden title, India will hope to give coach Rahul Dravid, who will step down at the end of the tournament, a fairytale ending.
Here’s a lowdown on the title tilt:
Where will the match be played?
The match will be played in Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados in the West Indies.
What time is the match?
The match starts at 6.30pm UAE time on Saturday.
How can you watch the match live in the UAE?
You can watch the live telecast on STARZPLAY for a subscription fee, with coverage on CricLife Max and CricLife Max 2. If you fancy stepping out, here are some of the places where you can watch the game in Dubai.
Is there a reserve day in case of rain?
There is a reserve day in case of rain. And if there is no possibility of a result even on the reserve day on Sunday, both teams will be declared joint-winners.
Who are the two captains?
India will be led by Rohit Sharma, while Aiden Markram will captain South Africa.
How did they reach the final?
India: The Men in Blue won all their Group A matches against Ireland, Pakistan, co-hosts USA, while their game against Canada was abandoned due to rain. They then went on to beat Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Australia in the Super Eights. Rohit Sharma’s men then dismantled defending champions England in the semifinal.
South Africa: Aiden Markram’s men too were unstoppable in Group D, beating Sri Lanka, The Netherlands, Bangladesh and Nepal. In the Super Eights, they got the better of USA, England and co-hosts the West Indies. South Africa then beat Afghanistan in the semifinal.
What is the head-to-head between the two sides in T20 World Cup tournament history?
India and South Africa have played each other six times in the tournament’s history with India winning four and South Africa two.
What is the head-to-head between the two sides in T20Is?
They have played each other 26 times with India winning 14 and South Africa 11 and one game ended in a no result.
Have these two teams met before in a T20 World Cup final?
No. This will be the first time that they will go up against each other.
Have the two teams won the T20 World Cup?
Yes. India won the title in 2007 and were runners-up in 2014, while South Africa are yet to win a world title in any of the two formats — the T20 World Cup as well as the 50-over ODI World Cup.
What is the highest T20I score between the two so far?
The highest score between the two sides in T20 Internationals is 237-3 by India in October, 2022.
What is the lowest T20I score between the two?
The lowest score is 87 all out by South Africa in June, 2022.
What is the highest margin of victory between the two teams in T20Is?
By runs, the biggest win is when India beat South Africa by 106 runs in December, 2023, while by wickets, South Africa beat India by nine wickets in September, 2019.
What is the lowest margin of victory between the two in T20Is?
The lowest margin by runs is when India beat South Africa by 1 run in October, 2012, while by wickets, South Africa beat India by 4 wickets in June, 2022.
What is the highest individual score?
South Africa’s David Miller scored an unbeaten 106 off 47 deliveries in October, 2022.
Who has the best bowling figures?
Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav has the best bowling figures of 5-17 in December, 2023.
The squads
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj. Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan. Coach: Rahul Dravid.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeze Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs. Reserves: Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi. Coach: Rob Walter.