India vs South Africa – ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final: Teams, weather, pitch

After 28 days and 54 matches, India and South Africa are set to face off in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Here’s what you need to know about the all-important match:

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When is T20 World Cup 2024 final and what time does it start?

The final will be played on Saturday, June 29 and action is scheduled to begin at 10:30am local time (14:30 GMT), with the toss scheduled 30 minutes before.

Where will be the final played?

The Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados plays host. The venue has a capacity of 28,000.

How’s the Kensington Oval pitch?

While it is not a batter’s paradise, the pitch at the Kensington Oval has produced some of the highest-scoring matches at this tournament. Pace bowlers hold a slight edge over spinners in the wicket-taking charts and the final could see that trend being followed with both teams packing a mix of quality pacers and spinners.

[Al Jazeera]

Will the toss play a crucial role?

Teams winning the toss have opted to field first in five of the eight matches played in Bridgetown so far, but the results have been mixed.

Rohit Sharma chose to bat first in India’s only game, against Afghanistan, at this venue and India emerged victorious by 47 runs.

The final will be South Africa’s first game in Bridgetown.

India hold a slight edge in both teams’ T20 meetings. The 2007 champions have won 14 matches compared with South Africa’s 11. Crucially, India have emerged on top in four of their five meetings in the T20 World Cup.

Their last meeting came in a three-match series in South Africa in December, which was tied 1-1 with one game washed out.

Form guide

Both teams are brimming with confidence after overcoming all the challenges that the weather, pitch condition and opposition have thrown their way in the tournament.

It is truly a match-up between the two best sides of the T20 World Cup.

India: W W W W W
South Africa: W W W W W

India team news

India’s three-spinner, two-pacer combination in the Caribbean leg of the tournament has produced great results so they are likely to keep the same side that beat England, USA, West Indies and Afghanistan.

Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav

South Africa team news

South Africa’s two full-time spinners have proven a handful and have been ably backed by three front-line fast bowlers and the part-time spin of their captain Aiden Markram.

The Proteas are not expected to make any changes to their semifinal-winning side either.

Predicted XI: Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (captain), David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi

What’s the weather forecast for Bridgetown, Barbados?

Weather has been an unwelcome guest at the T20 World Cup so far, with rains affecting several matches.

The weekend weather outlook for Bridgetown does not look great, but there’s hope that cricket fans will witness a full 20-overs-a-side match.

Scattered showers, isolated thunderstorms, cloudy conditions and an eastwardly breeze are forecast for the venue.

A tropical storm will head towards the island on Sunday and the Barbados Meteorological Services has issued severe weather warnings.

What happens if there’s a rain delay in the final?

A maximum of 190 minutes of extra time have been allocated to the final. In addition, the ICC has announced Sunday, June 29 as the reserve day for the final.

Can the final end in ‘no result’?

Yes, if both teams do not get a chance to bat a minimum of 10 overs each, the match will end in “no result” according to the ICC’s playing conditions and rules for the tournament.

In such an event both teams will be declared joint winners.

What happens if the final ends in a tie?

In case of tied scores, the match will be decided by a super over. If that, too ends in a tie, subsequent super overs will be played until a winner emerges.

Rain has affected several matches at the T20 World Cup 2024 [File: Gareth Copley/Getty Images]

Who are the match officials for the final?

Referee: Richie Richardson
On-field umpires: Christopher Gaffaney and Richard Illingworth
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough
Fourth umpire: Rodney Tucker

India’s route to the final

Eight-wicket win over Ireland in New York
Six-run win over Pakistan in New York
Seven-wicket win over USA in New York
Match against Canada abandoned (no result) in Florida
47-run win over Afghanistan in Barbados
50-run win over Bangladesh in Antigua
24-run win over Australia in Saint Lucia
68-run win over England in the semifinal in Guyana

South Africa’s route to the final

Six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in New York
Four-wicket win over Netherlands in New York
Four-run win over Bangladesh in New York
One-run win over Nepal in Saint Vincent
18-run win over USA in Antigua
Seven-run win over England in Saint Lucia
Three-wicket win over West Indies in Antigua
Nine-wicket win over Afghanistan in the semifinal in Trinidad and Tobago