India edged past South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling final to capture the ICC T20 World Cup title on Saturday. Hardik Pandya's nerve-wracking final over, where South Africa needed 16 runs for victory, proved decisive as India secured their second T20 World Cup crown after 17 years. Tears flowed freely from the Indian players as the match concluded. Pandya, who bowled the final over, was visibly emotional, while Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were also seen wiping away tears.
Earlier, South Africa looked well-placed in their chase of 176 runs set by India. However, Jasprit Bumrah's crucial wicket of Marco Jansen in the 17th over shifted the momentum towards India.
Speaking after the match, a visibly emotional Pandya dedicated the victory to the nation. “It means a lot. Very emotional, we’ve been working very hard and something was not clicking,” Pandya said. “But today, we got what the whole nation wanted. It's more special for me, considering how my last 6 months were. I haven’t spoken a word. I knew that if I kept working hard, I could shine and do what I could do. Getting an opportunity like this makes it more special.”
