India's batting lineup was left in jitters in the crucial T20 World Cup final against South Africa on June 29. After a promising start at Kensington Oval with openers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli finding boundaries early, South Africa fought back with a sensational comeback. Spinner Keshav Maharaj's double-wicket haul in the second over put India on the back foot. The pressure intensified when Rishabh Pant departed cheaply. Enter Suryakumar Yadav at number 4, a batsman known for his aggressive play, with hopes of reviving the innings. Unfortunately, Yadav failed to deliver a substantial score. In the 5th over, he attempted a pull shot off a length delivery from Kagiso Rabada. The shot lacked power and found the fielder at deep backward square leg, resulting in his dismissal for a low score. This left India in a precarious position at 34/3 in the high-pressure final.
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Suryakumar Yadav's dismissal added to India's woes. The batsman, who didn't connect cleanly, saw the ball hang in the air due to the wind. This allowed Heinrich Klaasen, stationed at deep backward square leg, to take a low catch with a tumbling effort. Klaasen's unusual celebration reflected the jubilation in the South African camp. Kagiso Rabada, the bowler, and his teammates were visibly pumped, recognizing the significance of dismissing a crucial Indian batsman at a critical juncture. This dismissal left Yadav with a mere 3 runs from 4 balls. He had earlier survived a close call, and throughout his short stay at the crease, he seemed out of touch. This was another instance where he couldn't deliver in a high-pressure match, and criticism for his underwhelming performance was inevitable.
WATCH SURYAKUMAR YADAV's DISMISSAL HERE
Despite looting 14 runs in the first over, India got off to a horrible start after Keshav Maharaj hunted down Rohit Sharma (9 off 5) and Rishabh Pant (0) in the second over. Kohli combined with Axar Patel to steady India's innings. Kohli found an ally in Axar Patel and weaved a 72-run partnership together to steady India's boat. Axar, however, crashed after playing a crucial knock of 31-ball 47 to take India past 100-run mark. Kohli played a calculated knock of 76 runs off 59 balls before returning to the pavilion. India ended up posting a challenging total of 176/7 in their stipulated 20 overs.
Later, India defeated South Africa by seven runs to lift the T20 World Cup 2024 title.
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