The stage for the final of the highly-anticipated ICC showpiece is set and the Kensington Oval in Barbados is ready for a thrilling grand finale on Saturday after 29 days and 54 T20I matches. (Match Blog | Scorecard)
Toss Update:
India won the toss and opt to bat first in the summit clash against South Africa.
Playing XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
South Africa: Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi
The pitch no. 4 will be used and it looks like a batting pitch as per Ian Bishop from the pitch report. The surface looks hard and the ball will come nicely on the bat. There's no live grass to hold the pitch together. Spinners might get some assistance from the surface.
There was slight rain last night but the sun is out today and the match is expected to finish without any break. However, the weather forecast suggests some rain and interruptions during the game.
Both teams have picked the best XI from their teams in the final match. Now, they need to deliver for their respective teams and help in the win. Both teams have played a dominating brand of cricket and the team which soaks pressure well will eventually come on top in the final.
Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi have been brilliant for the Proteas. Similarly for India, another two left-arm spinners, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav have done well so far.
South Africa's batting is a major concern, considering their players have not performed collectively but in patches. On the big day, a comprehensive performance will take the game away from the opponent and the Proteas are hopeful of delivering that.
