The T20 World Cup final presents a glorious opportunity for two teams that have had to wait for quite a long time for an opportunity to lift an ICC trophy. India vs South Africa can be termed as the battle of chokers with one of them sure to get rid of that tag by the time the last ball of the final is bowled.
India look to end decade-old drought
The Men in Blue last won the ODI World Cup in 2011 with MS Dhoni leading the charge. Since then, it has been a case of heartbreaks for India in World Cups, be it in ODI or T20s. Since winning the T20 World Cup in 2007, India have reached the Super Eight stage in every occasion. However, they have not been able to convert those qualification in the trophy-winning run.
India performance in T20 World Cups
| Team | 2007 | 2009 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2021 | 2022 | 2024 |
| India | W | R2 | R2 | R2 | RU | SF | R2 | SF | Final* |
India were eliminated four times from the Super Eight stage or before that in the T20 World Cup since 2007. They struggled for three editions in a row, getting knocked out from Super Eight in 2009, 2010 and 2012. The only knockout from the preliminary round came in 2021. Although India reached the final of the T20 WC in 2014, they lost to Sri Lanka. West Indies proved to be India’s nemesis in the 2016 edition, beating them in semis. England had knocked India out in the semi-final of 2022.
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Can South Africa get rid of ‘chokers’ tag once and for all?
India still have some ICC World Cup trophies to show for, but South Africa have always struggled to get hold of an ICC trophy. The Proteas have struggled to shrug off the chokers tag from their team, having faltered in crucial junctures of almost every ICC tournaments.
South Africa performance in T20 World Cups
| 2007 | 2009 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2021 | 2022 | 2024 | |
| South Africa | R2 | SF | R2 | R2 | SF | R2 | R2 | R2 | Final* |
South Africa have managed to reach the semi-finals only twice before this edition, getting knocked out in the Super Eight Stage on each occasion other than 2009 and 2014. With the thrashing of Afghanistan in the semi-final, South Africa have overcome a major obstacle. Can they go the distance and get rid of the infamous tag once and for all?
