Virat Kohli Hits Three Boundaries In Opening Over Of T20 WC Final Against SA

Virat Kohli ended his poor form in the T20 World Cup 2024 with three boundaries in the first over against South Africa at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown. The former India captain, who had scored only 75 runs at an average of 10.71 from seven innings before the final, was seen praying just before the match began. The 35-year-old knelt near the wicket and closed his eyes for about ten seconds to remember the almighty.

After Rohit Sharma took a single on the first ball, Kohli hit two consecutive boundaries off left-arm pacer Marco Jansen. He drove the first ball through point and flicked the second one through leg for another boundary. Kohli then took a double on the fourth delivery and followed it with a dot before hitting a straight drive for four. India collected 15 runs from the first over thanks to Kohli's explosive start.

However, India's joy was short-lived as they lost three quick wickets soon after. Keshav Maharaj dismissed Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant in the second over, while Kagiso Rabada took Suryakumar Yadav's wicket in the fifth over. Despite this setback, India are aiming to end their 11-year drought for an ICC trophy, having lost last year's ODI World Cup final.

India won the toss and chose to bat first in this title clash against South Africa, who are playing their first World Cup final. Both teams remained unchanged for this crucial match.

Akram Shan (@shanakram143) June 29, 2024

Kohli's early aggression set a positive tone for India, but they need to recover quickly from their early losses to stay competitive in this high-stakes final.