The final of the 2024 T20 World Cup is still causing discussions. India’s win over South Africa was not easy, as the team’s bowlers made crucial plays towards the end to help them recover. Players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh were key in the final overs, saving India from a tough position where South Africa only needed 30 runs in the last 30 balls to win. But, India managed to win by 7 runs, thanks to these three bowlers. Surprisingly, Virat Kohli was named Player of the Match, which was unexpected for former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar.
On a program after the game on ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar said that Kohli’s 76 runs from 59 balls made things difficult for India before the fast bowlers helped them out. Manjrekar also mentioned that if he had to pick the best player of the game, he would choose an Indian bowler instead of Kohli.
“By playing that inning, Hardik Pandya, one of their strongest hitters, only had two balls left to bat. So I thought India’s batting was good, but Virat Kohli might have played a part that could have made things really tough for India. And it almost did, until the bowlers stepped in at the end.”
“India was in a difficult situation, with South Africa having a 90 percent chance of winning. The big comeback actually helped Virat Kohli’s performance because he scored runs at a fast pace, almost playing half the game with a strike rate of 128. I would have chosen a bowler as the best player of the match because they turned the game around and won it for India,” Manjrekar said.
Former Zimbabwe cricketer, Andy Flower, had a somewhat different view. He believed that India had done well with their batting by scoring 176 runs. However, he agreed that if India had lost, Kohli would have faced a lot of criticism.
“If India had lost by a small margin, many people would have criticized Virat Kohli, I believe. When we were halfway through the game, I felt that India had a strong enough lead and that it would be very hard for South Africa to catch up,” he said.
