There were too many ebbs and flows during the final of the T20 World Cup, which culminated in India winning the title for a second time with a seven-run win over South Africa on Saturday. But none more gripping than the first ball of the final over of the South African innings. Arshdeep Singh had bowled a brilliant 19th over, giving away just four. And needing 16 to win off 6 balls, the well-set David Miller took strike. In front of him was Hardik Pandya, who was tasked with bowling the last over. Something had to give.
Miller, who has earned the reputation of finishing matches, was South Africa’s last bet. But Suryakumar Yadav had other plans. Hardik sent down a full toss, which Miller would have deposited nine out of 10 times into the stands. Unfortunately for South Africa though, this was the one time he didn’t connect as well as he would have liked to. The ball went high in the air, all set to clear the ropes before SKY took the catch of the match. Scratch that: catch of the year. Heck, call it the greatest-ever catch in the history of Indian cricket, given the context of the game.
Coming running in from long off, hoping to do the impossible and eventually succeeding. Surya grabbed the catch, and just as he was about to step over the ropes, threw the ball back in the air, jumped back inside and completed the catch to seal the deal for India. Miller was the last of the recognised batters, and his dismissal all but secured history for India. Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj could only do so much, with Hardik and India completing the formalities with a seven-run win.
Suryakumar may have failed with the bat, but this moment promises to live on in the pantheon of Indian cricket. For years now, India have been at the receiving end of such game-changing moments. Be it Travis Head’s catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma at the 2023 World Cup final or Martin Guptill’s direct hit to run MS Dhoni out in the 2019 World Cup semifinal. But on the evening that mattered the most, SKY snatched this moment to give India their moment under the sun. This catch will certainly be talked about in the same breath as S Sreesanth’s catch to dismiss Misbah-ul-Haq 17 years ago in Johannesburg.
SKY was there… at the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups, where India missed out. He also came under the firing line for his sluggish knock in the final of the ODI World Cup seven months ago. But in the format tailor-made for Surya, he ended up making a mark one way or the other. He may not have gotten a big score in the final, but his knocks of 31 against Australia, 50 not out in a tough chase against the USA, and an exciting 47 against England make him one of the most vital cogs in this Indian T20 wheel. Fly high, SKY. This is your moment. This is India’s moment.
