The two top teams of the tournament, India and South Africa, are set to face off in the World Cup final at the historic Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday. Both teams have remained undefeated throughout the tournament. This is South Africa’s first World Cup final, while India has not secured an ICC world event victory since the 2013 Champions Trophy. It could be the last ICC event for two of India’s greatest batters. Can India break their 11-year jinx, or will South Africa create history?
South Africa has won all their matches, while India has triumphed in every game except for a rain-affected match against Canada. This marks the first time in T20 World Cup history that two unbeaten teams will meet in the final.
India will be competing in their third T20 World Cup final. They won the inaugural edition in 2007 and were runners-up in 2014, losing to Sri Lanka. South Africa, on the other hand, will be playing in their first T20 World Cup final.
Likely Playing XIs for India and South Africa
Both teams are expected to retain their winning combinations. Although there is a consideration for India to bring in Jaiswal and push the out-of-form Kohli to number 3, they are unlikely to change their successful lineup. South Africa is also likely to field the same team.
South Africa Likely XI:
- Batters: Heinrich Klaasen, Reeza Hendricks, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller
- All-Rounders: Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram
- Wicketkeeper: Quinton de Kock
- Bowlers: Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Keshav Maharaj
India Likely XI:
- Batters: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav
- All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube
- Wicketkeeper: Rishabh Pant
- Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav
