IND vs SA Final Highlights, T20 World Cup 2026:
Under Rohit Sharma's leadership, Team India has etched its name in history. For the fourth time in history, India has seized a World Cup title. That Saturday (June 29), India vanquished South Africa in the 2026 T20 World Cup final by 7 runs, gifting 140 crore Indians a golden opportunity to revel in the victory.
It's noteworthy that India has won the one-day World Cup twice before (1983, 2011). Similarly, they've now grasped the T20 World Cup title twice (2007, 2026). The team's last World Cup win was in the one-day format in 2011, marking a 13-year wait for its next triumph in the shortest format.
Klaasen's sterling fifty couldn't usher South Africa to victory
The gripping finale played in Barbados witnessed India setting a target of 177 runs after winning the toss. South Africa managed 169 runs for 8 wickets in response and thus surrendered the title. They lost two wickets for just 12 runs early on. Then, Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs provided a ray of hope with a 58-run partnership in 38 balls.
Stubbs was dismissed at 31 runs. Afterwhich, de Kock built a partnership with Henrich Klaasen until spinners took charge and de Kock succumbed to Arshdeep Singh, caught for 39 runs.
Pandya's last over turned the tide
In the final moments when Klaasen swung his bat, it seemed like the match might slip out of India's hands. But Rohit Sharma strategized brilliantly by bringing Hardik Pandya into attack. Pandya first dismissed Klaasen who scored a swift 52 off 27 balls. Following that dismissal, the South African lineup crumbled, and India seized the championship.
For India, pace-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya snapped up 3 wickets for 20 runs, making him the leading wicket-taker. Pacers Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah each bagged two wickets, while spinner Axar Patel claimed one. South Africa needed 16 runs in the last over, but Pandya took two wickets and conceded only 8 runs, securing India's win.
South Africa's scorecard: (169/8, 20 overs)
Kohli's dynamic fifty, Axar and Shivam's blitzkrieg innings
Choosing to bat first in the final, India set up a decent score of 176/7. Virat Kohli spearheaded the innings after the team was reduced to 34/3. Partnered by Axar Patel, Kohli formulated a solid 72-run partnership.
Kohli then smashed his first fifty of the World Cup in 48 balls, amassing a total of 76 runs in 59 balls. Axar Patel contributed significantly before getting out on 47 runs off 31 balls. In the final stretch, Shivam Dube provided a brisk 27 off 16 balls. South Africa's spinners Keshav Maharaj and paceman Anrich Nortje both claimed two wickets while Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada secured one wicket each.
India's scorecard: (176/7, 20 overs)
Teams that won the toss claimed victory in 7 out of the last 8 finals
Since the 2010 edition, the team winning the toss has won 8 out of 9 T20 World Cup finals. This was the first time since 2010 that the T20 World Cup final was played during daylight. Both India and South Africa reached the final without a single loss, but South Africa faced defeat in the ultimate showdown.
Both captains, Indian and South African, opted not to make any changes to their playing 11 for the final.
The historical third final for Team India
After 17 years, under Rohit Sharma's captaincy, India again claimed the crown of the T20 World Cup champions. This edition, they made their way into the final with a commanding 68-run win over England while South Africa secured their spot by defeating Afghanistan in the semifinals with a 9-wicket victory.
This marks the third appearance in the finals for Team India. They first played the final in the inaugural season in 2007, where they defeated Pakistan. Seven years later, they reached the finals in the 2014 season but faced defeat against Sri Lanka. This victory adds another glorious chapter as champions of the T20 World Cup.
India and South Africa's overall head-to-head comparison
Total ODI matches:
91, India won: 40, South Africa won: 51, No result: 3
Total T20 matches:
27, India won: 15, South Africa won: 11, No result: 1
Total Test matches:
44, India won: 16, South Africa won: 18, Draw: 10
Head to head in the T20 World Cup
Total T20 matches: 7 India won: 5 South Africa won: 2
Line-ups for the match between India and South Africa
Indian Team:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.
South African Team:
Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (captain), David Miller, Henrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi.
