India Ends 11-Year Trophy Drought with Dramatic Win Over South Africa, Their Second T20 World Cup Title, defeating South Africa in a nail-biting final on June 29th. This victory marks the end of an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy for the passionate Indian fans, sending the nation into madness.

Diverse Pitches and Upsets Galore

The aim of the 2024 T20 World Cup, which was hosted by the USA and the West Indies, was to increase cricket’s popularity in the US. Stadiums in Dallas and New York were packed with American fans, proving the tournament’s ability to promote the growth of the sport.

The unique aspect of this session was the variety of pitches given at various locations. Fast bowlers were favoured by the Nassau County Cricket Club in New York, which made scores between 120 and 130 very close. The Caribbean leg provided a sharp contrast, as high-scoring matches were produced by batting-friendly surfaces in Barbados and St. Lucia. Pitch support for spinners was provided in places like Trinidad, Antigua, St. Vincent, and Guyana, where totals of 150–160 were difficult to reach. There could not have been a T20 World Cup with such a diverse range of playing conditions.

Underdogs Shine Brightly

The 20 team competition provided a platform for thrilling underdog stories. The co-hosts, the USA etched their names in cricketing history by defeating Pakistan in a dramatic Super Over and then qualifying for the Super 8 stage. Afghanistan, another underdog, stunned New Zealand in the group stage, securing their place in the Super 8 at the expense of the Kiwis. Their journey did not end there as they pulled off a sensational victory against Australia to reach the semi-finals exceeding everyone’s expectations. Even Scotland came close to a Super 8 falling short only on the net run rate.

Also Read: Top 5 Underrated Knocks of T20 World Cup 2024

T20 World Cup 2024 An Unprecedented Final: Two Unbeaten Teams Go Head-to-Head

India and South Africa were the two undefeated teams playing in the final of the T20 World Cup for the first time. With victories in all seven of their campaign’s games—all of which were close contests that powered the greatest T20 World Cup debate—They had a perfect run.

The actual final was a difficult situation. Many predicted that South Africa would win easily, needing just 27 runs from 28 deliveries with six wickets left. But a strong bowling attack from India and some smart leadership choices turned the tide, setting up a thrilling climax that had fans on the edge of their seats right up until the very last delivery.

Once again Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli failed to make it big in the game, it was India’s very own Mr. 360 Suryakumar Yadav who pulled the team out of the trouble. Suryakumar proved yet again why he is the No. 1 ranked T20I batter in the world as he scored a stunning half-century against Afghanistan in their first Super 8 match in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.

Suryakumar Yadav Equals Virat Kohli’s World Record In Half The Time

Suryakumar Yadav walked out to bat after Indian captain Rohit Sharma and keeper-batter Rishabh Pant had departed early. SKY formed a brilliant partnership with all-rounder Hardik Pandya and together they took the Indian cricket team to 181 runs in 20 overs.

Thanks to SKY’s knock, the Indian cricket team posted a target that was more than enough to defend as the Afghanistan batters never got close.

In the process, Suryakumar Yadav equaled Virat Kohli’s world record. Yes, SKY was awarded the Player of the Match for his brilliant knock. This was his 15th award in the T20I format. This record helped SKY match the world record of Virat Kohli. Both of them have now won 15 awards apiece.

However, the difference in both the records is of time. Surya achieved this feat faster than Kohli. SKY took just 61 innings to achieve this milestone, which is nearly half the innings of Virat Kohli. King took 113 innings to achieve this feat.

Most POTM awards in T20Is:

Suryakumar Yadav – 15 (61 innings)

Virat Kohli – 15 (113 innings)

Speaking to the broadcasters during the innings break, Suryakumar Yadav talked about his knock and said: “That’s what I have practiced, I enjoy batting from overs 7-15 because that’s the most difficult phase where the opposition bowlers look to control things. I like to take charge in that phase, I enjoy it.”

Following Rohit Sharma’s dismissal, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli added 43 runs for the second wicket to bring the momentum back for the Indian side before Rashid Khan‘s twin strikes left team India reeling at 62 runs for 3. Talking about the pressure after Kohli’s dismissal, Surya said:

“I started chewing my gum harder when he (Kohli) got out. I just backed my game and my instincts.”

He added: “I have played a lot of cricket with him (Rohit Sharma) and now under him, he understands my game. He knows my game, so he sits back and enjoys it.”

Meanwhile, in the ongoing tournament, Suryakumar Yadav has overshadowed Virat Kohli with his performances. SKY has amassed 112 runs at an average of just over 37, in four innings, on the other hand, Kohli has scored 29 runs from four innings at an average of just over seven.

Not just this, SKY is also the only Indian batter to go past the 50-run mark and he has managed to do it twice.

The Men in Blue will be playing their next match against Bangladesh on June 22.

The Group stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 is over and we now have eight teams going into the next round, which is the Super 8 round. Eight teams have been shortlisted for the Super 8 round, where the teams will be contesting for the final four spots.

The Super 8s round will take place from June 19 to 24 and these 8 teams will determine who will go into the semi-final rounds.

Meanwhile, in this article, we will share all the information about the Super 8s round of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.

Teams Who have qualified for the Super 8s:

Group A: India and USA
Group B: Australia and England
Group C: West Indies and Afghanistan
Group D: South Africa and Bangladesh

These eight teams are divided into the following two groups:

Group A: India, Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh
Group B: USA, England, West Indies, South Africa

Full Schedule (Indian Time)

• 19 June:

USA v South Africa, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua (8:00 PM)

England v West Indies, Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia (6:00 AM, next day)

• 20 June:

Afghanistan v India, Kensington Oval, Barbados (8:00 PM)

Australia v Bangladesh, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua (6:00 AM, next day)

• 21 June:

England v South Africa, Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia (8:00 PM)

USA v West Indies, Kensington Oval, Barbados (6:00 AM, next day)

• 22 June:

India v Bangladesh, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua (8:00 PM)

Afghanistan v Australia, Arnos Vale, St Vincent (6:00 AM, next day)

• 23 June:

USA v England, Kensington Oval, Barbados (8:00 PM)

West Indies v South Africa, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua (6:00 AM, next day)

• 24 June:

Australia v India, Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia (8:00 PM)

Afghanistan v Bangladesh, Arnos Vale, St Vincent (6:00 AM, next day)

India’s Schedule in Super 8s

IND vs AFG on June 20 at Kensington Oval in Barbados – 8:00 PM IST

IND vs BAN on June 22 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua – 8:00 PM IST

IND vs AUS on June 24 at Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St. Lucia – 8:00 PM IST

Super 8s – Match Official appointments

June 19: USA v South Africa (Antigua)

• Referee: Ranjan Madugalle
• On-field Umpires: Chris Gaffaney and Richard Kettleborough
• TV Umpire: Joel Wilson
• Fourth Umpire: Langton Rusere

June 19: England v West Indies (St Lucia)

• Referee: Jeff Crowe
• On-field Umpires: Nitin Menon and Ahsan Raza
• TV Umpire: Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid
• Fourth Umpire: Chris Brown

June 20: Afghanistan v India (Barbados)

• Referee: David Boon
• On-field Umpires: Rodney Tucker and Paul Reiffel
• TV Umpire: Allahudien Paleker
• Fourth Umpire: Alex Wharf

June 20: Australia v Bangladesh (Antigua)

• Referee: Richie Richardson
• On-field Umpires: Richard Illingworth and Michael Gough
• TV Umpire: Kumar Dharmasena
• Fourth Umpire: Adrian Holstock

June 21: England v South Africa (St Lucia)

• Referee: Jeff Crowe
• On-field Umpires: Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and Chris Brown
• TV Umpire: Joel Wilson
• Fourth Umpire: Chris Gaffaney

June 21: USA v West Indies (Barbados)

• Referee: David Boon
• On-field Umpires: Paul Reiffel and Allahuddien Paleker
• TV Umpire: Rodney Tucker
• Fourth Umpire: Alex Wharf

June 22: India v Bangladesh (Antigua)

• Referee: Ranjan Madugalle
• On-field Umpires: Michael Gough and Adrian Holdstock
• TV Umpire: Langton Rusere
• Fourth Umpire: Richard Kettleborough

June 22: Afghanistan v Australia (St Vincent)

• Referee: Richie Richardson
• On-field Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena and Ahsan Raza
• TV Umpire: Richard Illingworth
• Fourth Umpire: Nitin Menon

June 23: USA v England (Barbados)

• Referee: David Boon
• On-field Umpires: Chris Gaffaney and Joel Wilson
• TV Umpire: Paul Reiffel
• Fourth Umpire: Allahudien Paleker

June 23: West Indies v South Africa (Antigua)

• Referee: Ranjan Madugalle
• On-field Umpires: Rodney Tucker and Alex Wharf
• TV Umpire: Chris Brown
• Fourth Umpire: Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid

June 24: Australia v India (St Lucia)

• Referee: Jeff Crowe
• On-field Umpires: Richard Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth
• TV Umpire: Michael Gough
• Fourth Umpire: Kumar Dharmasena

June 24: Afghanistan v Bangladesh (St Vincent)

• Referee: Richie Richardson
• On-field Umpires: Langton Rusere and Nitin Menon
• TV Umpire: Adrian Holdstock
• Fourth Umpire: Ahsan Raza

T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 matches Live Streaming in India

You can watch Super 8 matches for free on TV in India on all the Star Sports TV channels. Star Sports are the official broadcaster of the ongoing World Cup 2024. You can also live stream all the Super 8 matches on the Disney+Hotstar app and website.