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The entire nation is ecstatic after India‘s commanding performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa. In a nail-biting match, the Men in Blue held their nerves to defeat the Proteas by a narrow margin of 7 runs, etching their name in cricketing history. This victory ended an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy and marked India’s second T20 World Cup title.
Virat Kohli Anchors India’s Innings
Batting first, India faced early setbacks, losing three wickets within the powerplay. However, veteran batter Virat Kohli (76 off 59) steadied the innings with a crucial knock. He received solid support from Axar Patel (47 off 31) and Shivam Dube (27 off 16), helping India reach a competitive total of 176/7 in 20 overs.
Hardik Pandya stages India’s comeback
In response, South Africa had a rocky start, losing a couple of wickets early on. Quinton de Kock (39) and Tristan Stubbs (31 off 21) provided some stability before Heinrich Klaasen (52 off 27) shifted the momentum with his aggressive batting. Klaasen appeared poised to lead South Africa to their first-ever title, but Hardik Pandya turned the game around by dismissing him in the 17th over.
Suryakumar Yadav’s insane catch seals the deal
India maintained their momentum, and in the very next over, Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Marco Jansen. The match went down to the final over with David Miller still at the crease. Hardik, tasked with bowling the decisive over, kept his composure and dismissed Miller on the first ball. Suryakumar Yadav‘s incredible catch, which turned a potential six into an out, was pivotal. South Africa finished at 169/8 in 20 overs, losing by 7 runs.
Also READ: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announce retirement from T20 internationals after India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph
Did Hardik call Natasa Stankovic ?
After the match, Hardik was visibly emotional as India celebrated their first ICC title since the 2013 Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, some photos of Hardik, who has been in the spotlight recently due to rumors about his separation from wife Natasa Stankovic, were widely shared.
Some images showed Pandya sitting on the pitch and making a video call. Fans speculated in the Instagram comments about who he was speaking to, with some suggesting it was Natasa, while others believed he might have been talking to his mother or his brother, cricketer Krunal Pandya.
Notably, Hardik and Natasa tied the knot on May 31, 2020, and welcomed their son Agastya on July 30 of the same year. In May 2024, a Reddit post drew attention, hinting that the Serbian model and actress, who left Bollywood after marrying Hardik, had parted ways with him.
