T20 World Cup 2024: India’s strongest predicted playing XI against South Africa, Final

India will take on South Africa in the Final of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29. Both teams have remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and the final clash will promise a mouth-watering contest. India have failed to lay hands on the ICC trophy for more than a decade and South Africa’s last ICC silverware came in 1998. It will be a fitting finale as the cricket fanatics have labelled both teams to choke in the knockouts thanks to their record of crumbling under pressure.

India have dominated the tournament purely on the back of their in-form bowling arsenal. The pacers did the job in New York’s two-paced pitches and the spinners are reigning supreme in the Caribbean. The dismal form of Virat Kohli and Shivam Dube has been a point of concern for the team and Arshdeep Singh has leaked runs while also picking wickets. Rohit Sharma had hinted that the team might have four spinners against England in Guyana, but the Barbados is a different track.

Here’s India’s predicted XI against South Africa:

Openers: Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli

Rohit Sharma has continued his form from where he left against Australia in the Super 8 game. He was calculative yet lethal against England in the semifinal scoring 57 off 39 and made the slow track look good for batting. His ability to get under the ball even when the bounce was low is worth commending and the way he played spinner Adil Rashid is a big plus for the team facing the likes of Tabraiz Shamsi in the Final.

Virat Kohli has got himself into a shell as the batter is gifting his wicket by playing out-of-character strokes. He seems unsettled as an opener and his form will dictate India’s dominance with the bat. The right-handed batter has amassed just 75 runs in seven innings and has struggled with the varying bounce and pace in the Caribbean pitches.

Middle Order: Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shivam Dube

Rishabh Pant has got a free license to go after the opposition bowlers. The southpaw has denied the photographers any picture where he is not seen possessing a conventional follow-through. He has been crucial with his little cameos and comes as a surprise factor for the bowlers as they try gauging his hitting arcs.

Suryakumar Yadav has silenced the critics with his consistent performance in the World Cup. There were fingers raised after his innings in the World Cup 2023 Final and the batter has proved that he owns the shortest format. He played a valuable knock of 47 off 36 in the semifinal, partnering with Rohit and propelling India to a formidable total as the top order collapsed.

Shivam Dube has not arrived at the T20 World Cup 2024 as his mental presence is stuck somewhere near Long Island. The southpaw has continued his underwhelming performance and got out on the first ball in the semifinal. He is termed as the spin specialist but the prowess against the same is missing in the tournament.

Allrounders: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja

Hardik Pandya is silently creating an impact without grabbing much limelight. The batter plays much-needed cameos and strikes during crunch moments with the ball. He was Player of the Match against Bangladesh and contributed a quickfire 23 off 13 in the semifinal. His standout effort with the ball was evident as he picked up two wickets against Pakistan while defending a low total.

Axar Patel is highly underrated for his services for Team India. He has been exceptional with the bat, mercurial with the ball, and agile when guarding the ropes. The spinner dismantled the England batting lineup in the semis by picking three wickets, including the likes of Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow.

Ravindra Jadeja had not had the kind of tournament where he could count on his match-winning performances. The all-rounder was subdued with the bat until his unbeaten 17 off 9 balls in the semis. He has had a shrink in his bowling strike rate and has failed to pick wickets, though he has maintained the economy rate and created pressure on the batters.

Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh

Kuldeep Yadav was the ace of the pack Rohit used when India stepped into the Caribbean land. The spinner created an immediate impact and picked wickets like there was no tomorrow. He plucked three wickets in the semifinal and gave away just 19 runs and India entered the finals. He has been the go-to leg-spinner for the team over Yuzvendra Chahal, who is delivering goods.

Jasprit Bumrah had an off day against England in the semis owing to the benchmark he has set in the tournament. But the bowler did not stray away from leaving behind his usual charm and pocketed two wickets. He cleaned up Phil Salt with a slow delivery which was angled in and complemented the nature of the pitch. His understanding of the conditions and batters’ impulses is second to none.

Arshdeep Singh is the leading wicket-taker for India at the T20 World Cup 2024. The left-arm seamer is opening the bowling attack for India as he can generate ample swing early on. The point of concern is his middle overs, which have gone for plenty of runs. The big positive about him could be his approach to going for wickets rather than remaining defensive.

India’s Predicted Playing XI

Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya (VC), Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh

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