South Africa’s painful T20 World Cup 2024 final defeat against India remains a topic the Proteas simply refuse to revisit. Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of their Super 8 clash against India, opener Quinton de Kock revealed that the team’s way of dealing with the heartbreak was straightforward: they chose to forget it ever happened.
“To be honest, after that game, we just forgot about it. In all honesty, none of us wanted to speak about it. We went home and went through our own processes about how to deal with it. That’s pretty much it. We have never really spoken about it,” De Kock said.
A FINAL THAT STILL STINGS
It is easy to understand why. South Africa were agonisingly close to lifting their first-ever T20 World Cup title in Barbados, needing just 30 runs off the final 30 balls with Heinrich Klaasen in devastating form. The wicketkeeper-batter had taken the game away from India, smashing Axar Patel for 24 runs in a single over, and the trophy looked destined for South African hands.
But cricket has a way of turning on its head. Hardik Pandya dismissed Klaasen in the 17th over, and India’s bowlers made sure the Proteas could not recover. Chasing 177, South Africa fell short by just a handful of runs across the final three overs, suffering one of the most gut-wrenching losses in World Cup final history.
A NEW CHAPTER, A FRESH RIVALRY
Sunday’s Super 8 fixture at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will be the first time the two sides have met in a T20 World Cup match since that final, and South Africa arrive with renewed confidence. Since that defeat in Barbados, the Proteas went on to win the World Test Championship final, a triumph they believe has fundamentally shifted how the cricketing world perceives them.
If their preparations are anything to go by, South Africa are approaching this game with a clear game plan. The off-spin of Aiden Markram is expected to play a central role, with the team targeting India’s top order in what could prove to be a decisive tactical battle.
The India vs South Africa Super 8 match gets underway at 7 PM IST on February 22 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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