IND vs SA: Virat Kohli's fighting knock propels India to 176 in T20 World Cup final

IND vs SA: In a thrilling display of batting, Virat Kohli's resilient innings helped India post a formidable total of 176 runs in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa. Kohli set the tone early, smashing three boundaries in the first over. However, South Africa's Keshav Maharaj quickly struck back, removing Indian captain Rohit Sharma and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant in the second over. The setbacks continued as Suryakumar Yadav fell to Kagiso Rabada, leaving India reeling with three wickets down in the powerplay.

Kohli and Axar steady the ship

Amid the early chaos, Kohli found a reliable partner in Axar Patel. The duo carefully navigated through the powerplay turbulence, stabilizing India's innings and guiding the team past the 10th over without further damage. Their partnership flourished, bringing a sense of stability to the Indian innings. By the 14th over, India had crossed the 100-run mark, thanks to their calculated aggression and quick singles.

Axar Patel, playing a crucial supporting role, was just three runs shy of his half-century when a brilliant piece of fielding by Quinton de Kock resulted in a direct hit that saw Axar run out at the non-striker's end. Despite the unfortunate dismissal, Axar and Kohli's partnership had added 72 valuable runs in 54 balls for the fourth wicket.

Kohli's late surge

After Axar's departure, Kohli continued to anchor the innings. He reached his fifty in 48 balls and then accelerated the scoring, especially targeting Kagiso Rabada in the 18th over. Shivam Dube also played a handy knock of 27 runs off 16 balls. Kohli's aggressive approach in the final overs, including a six and a four off Rabada, propelled India to a competitive total of 176.