'F**k This is Tough!': Dale Steyn Heartbroken As South Africa Lose in 2024 T20 World Cup Final

India pulled off a sensational seven-run win over South Africa in a gripping T20 World Cup final on Saturday.

Former Proteas pacer Dale Steyn posted: “F**k this is tough. Heart breaking”

South Africa, playing its first-ever final of an ICC tournament, needed a run-a-ball 30 to win on the back of Heinrich Klaasen’s belligerent 52 off 27 balls.

But Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, who shared seven wickets between them, roared back in the death overs to cut down South Africa at 169-8.

Kohli’s first half-century of the tournament in what he later revealed was his last T20 international, anchored India to 176-7 after captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat.

“Guys understand when the pressure is on what needs to be done,” Sharma said. “Today was a perfect example, (we) stuck together with backs to the wall. We wanted this really bad … very proud of the bunch of boys and the management.”

India won its second T20 World Cup but its first world title in 13 years. The frustration had been building. Over the last 12 months, India lost the World Test Championship final and, most gruelling, the 50-over World Cup final at home.

But South Africa’s heartbreak is on another level. It reached the climax unbeaten — India too — and looked to finally end its World Cup hoodoo.

South Africa sprinted to 147-4 in 15 overs when Klaasen smacked three sixes and a four in left-arm spinner Axar Patel’s over which cost India 24 runs.

But pace ace Bumrah conceded only six runs off his next two overs and, in between, Pandya got the dangerous Klaasen caught behind.

David Miller couldn’t get the strike much despite scoring 21 and left-arm fast bowler Singh conceded just four in the penultimate over. That gave Pandya a cushion of 16 runs to defend off the last over.

Off Pandya’s first ball, Miller was dismissed when Suryakumar Yadav plucked a brilliant juggling catch on the edge of the long-off boundary and sealed the result.

“Gutted,” South Africa captain Aiden Markram said. “Hurts quite a bit, but incredibly proud. We never got comfortable, things happen quickly at the back end, but got into a great position to prove we were worthy finalists.”

(With inputs from Agencies)

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