Keshav maharaj

T20 World Cup: Talismanic batter Virat Kohli stepped up to the plate, ending his lean patch with a 59-ball 76 to help India post a competitive 176/7 against South Africa in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Kensington Oval here on Saturday.

On a dry and slow pitch, South Africa made early inroads by picking three quick wickets. But Kohli stood up to be at the centre of India’s innings, despite a middle-overs slowdown, with his crucial knock laced with six fours and two sixes, as they posted the highest total in a Men’s T20 World Cup final.

It was a knock in which Kohli scored more than what his first seven innings in the tournament yielded (75 runs). His 72-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Axar Patel, who made 47 off 31 balls, and a 57-run partnership with Shivam Dube, who hit a 16-ball 27, helped India go past the 175-run mark, as they hammered 42 runs off the last three overs.