India batter Virat Kohli registered his first half-century of the T20 World Cup 2024 series in the final against South Africa at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on Saturday.
After India opted to bat first, Kohli steadied the innings following early top-order wobbles. He stitched together a 72-run partnership with Axar Patel (47) for the fourth wicket, rescuing India from a precarious position.
Kohli reached his fifty off 48 balls, his second in a T20 World Cup final. This feat equals the record held by Marlon Samuels and Kumar Sangakkara. However, his knock was cut short at 76 (59) when he miscued a pull shot off Marco Jansen and was caught by Kagiso Rabada.
Kohli entered the final with a string of low scores throughout the tournament, managing just 75 runs in seven innings. This marked the lowest aggregate for any Indian batter facing at least 75 balls in a T20 World Cup edition.
Despite his struggles, Kohli remains the tournament's most successful batsman with a staggering 1292* runs in 34 innings, including 15 half-centuries.
