‘We will have to get South Africa to choke’ – Kirti Azad opens up ahead of India-South Africa T20 WC final in Barbados

Kirti Azad. (Photo Courtesy – Twitter/X)

India will square off against South Africa in the summit clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final on June 29 in Barbados. The game is very special for both sides as the Men in Blue India will be aiming to end their 11-year ICC trophy drought and the Proteas will look to clinch their first-ever ICC tournament victory.

Both teams carry the weight of expectations and past disappointments. South Africa, long labeled as “chokers” for their inability to reach finals, has finally broken through. India, still haunted by their loss in the 2023 ODI World Cup, is determined to lift the trophy this time around.

1983 World Cup-winning all-rounder Kirti Azad shared his insights on India’s game plan for the final. Azad emphasized the unpredictability of South Africa’s performance in their first-ever ICC tournament final, cautioning India against complacency.

“It is very difficult to talk about South Africa as it is their first time in the final of any ICC tournament. They were even called ‘chokers’ as they used to always choke in the semi-finals which is why it will be difficult to predict, to say how they will perform in the final. But yes they will give it their best to win and India has to be careful to not get too complacent and we don’t end up choking the game. The hope will be that we put up a good score,” he said as quoted by NDTV.

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I had full belief that the way the Indian team is, we will perform well and win the World Cup: Kirti Azad

Azad also stressed the importance of adapting to the pitch conditions in Barbados. India will play at this venue for the second time in the ongoing tournament, while South Africa will play for the first time.

“As we saw the pitches last time out in the semifinals, the ball was not bouncing too much and staying low. We will have to be careful and give them a good target. South Africa ko choke karaana hoga (We will have to get South Africa to choke),” Azad added.

India’s bowling attack, led by Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah, has been exceptional throughout the tournament. Their performance in the semi-final against England, where they restricted the opposition to just 103 runs, showed their dominance.

“I had full belief that the way the Indian team is, we will perform well and win the World Cup. The performance by all players has been top-notch, especially the bowlers in the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel have been bowling well. India’s bowling attack is second to none. The biggest plus point for our side is the way Rohit is batting,” added the 1983 World Cup winner.

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Skipper Rohit Sharma’s form has been crucial, with 248 runs making him the third-highest run-getter in the tournament. Azad praised the overall team performance.

“All captains have performed well. If you look at Virat Kohli’s captaincy, India won a lot of series during his tenure that they had not won before. Every captain has his style, Rohit is the captain currently and he is doing well so I wish him all the best and hope they win the final,” he concluded.