T20 World Cup 2024 Final: South Africa vs India Best Bets

After 54 thrilling matches over a month of intense white-ball cricket, South Africa and India are set to clash in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup on Saturday afternoon. The Kensington Oval in Barbados will host this grand event, where the Proteas aim for their first-ever world title, while India seeks to reclaim the trophy, they last lifted in the inaugural year of the competition held in South Africa. We’ve prepared the best bets to take for this game.

Venue: Kensington Oval

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India have been dominant throughout this World Cup, making the most of the West Indian conditions. They’ve batted first in five of their seven matches, signaling a shift in strategy to post strong totals consistently. Their emphatic 68-run win over England in the semi-final was their most impressive yet.

Key contributions have come from Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, with Rishabh Pant chipping in crucial runs. However, the standout performer has been captain Rohit Sharma, who has put his T20 World Cup struggles behind him. His 92 off 41 balls against Australia was a masterclass, and his 57 off 39 in the semi-final set the foundation for victory. While Kohli’s form and Dube’s usage remain concerns, India’s bowling has been exceptional. The combination of Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah has been formidable, with Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel providing vital support.

On the other hand, South Africa’s journey to the finals has been a testament to their resilience. They’ve won eight consecutive matches, showcasing the hallmark of a champion team. Starting with three wins in New York, their pacers, especially Anrich Nortje, have been crucial. They battled hard against the USA, Nepal, England, and the West Indies, finally delivering a complete performance against Afghanistan in the semi-final.

The team effort has been impressive, with six different Proteas earning Player of the Match awards. Quinton de Kock has been in fine form, supported by Markram, Stubbs, Klaasen, and Miller. Their five-man attack has performed consistently, with Markram also proving effective in the powerplay. The experience of winning finals in franchise cricket, particularly Markram’s leadership in the SA20, adds to their strength. Familiarity with the Indian players, having faced them in the IPL, could be an advantage.

Despite India being the standout team of the tournament, South Africa has shown incredible resilience, often securing victories from difficult positions. In high-pressure matches like this, the underdog status can alleviate some of the stress, which could benefit the Proteas in this final showdown. Back South Africa to win.

Players to Watch: Virat Kohli reminds everyone that he is only human now and then. He dominated the 2014, 2016, and 2022 T20 World Cups – in addition to the 2023 World Cup and 2024 IPL – so it is only natural he had an off-campaign here. It’s not been for a lack of intent, for six of his seven dismissals have been down to aggressive shots. It may be a consequence of the New York pitch shaking his game up, or more likely a natural streak of low scores that comes with high-intensity attitudes. One can never discount him on the big stage.

Heinrich Klaasen has not set the tournament alight in the way he was expected to, but that was a reflection of the conditions rather than his output. Still, his 46 against Bangladesh was match-defining and his 36* against USA pushed them to a defendable score. His 22 (10) against the West Indies came at a strike-rate no one else in the game touched, which made the ultimate difference. He has scored at 12 runs per over against left-arm spin in all T20s this year, so will be crucial in the middle overs against the Indian spinners.

Key Stats

India won four of their six T20 World Cup games against South Africa, though they lost by five wickets in 2022.

Jasprit Bumrah’s economy is an astonishing 4.12 this tournament while being the fifth-highest wicket-taker with 13. He’s also averaging 8.15 runs per wicket. No bowler with 10+ wickets has a better economy or average.

Rohit Sharma vs Kagiso Rabada in T20s: 90 runs off 76 balls, four dismissals.

Tabraiz Shamsi got Suryakumar Yadav out twice in three games last year (36 off 26 balls in total).

Heinrich Klaasen averages 102 at a scoring rate of 9rpo in T20s versus the Indian spin trio of Kuldeep, Axar, and Jadeja.

In the 2024 IPL, left-arm pace dismissed Quinton de Kock six times in eight games (85 runs off 69 balls).

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