Hosts West Indies got knocked out of the T20 World Cup 2024 after losing to South Africa in their final Super 8 round. They had lost to England earlier and needed to win this game to make it to the semifinal but the Proteas held their nerve chasing 123 runs according to DLS method in the rain-hit encounter.
Despite the loss though West Indies skipper Rovman Powell is hopeful that the perfromance in the tournament will resume the buzz around cricket in the Caribbean. He recalled the last 12 months when the team played some excellent cricket jumping from ninth position to third in the ICC T20I rankings. He also lauded his side for putting up a fight defending 135 runs in the must-win encounter and not letting the opposition get to the target easily.
"Credit to the boys for fighting till the end. As a batting group this is a performance we want to forget, we didn't bat well in the middle overs. We lost wickets in clusters and that always breaks the back of the batting team. It was a commendable effort, the boys believed they could defend 135. We haven't won the World Cup or reached the semifinal but we have played some good cricket in the last 12 months. There is a buzz among the supporters about West Indies cricket again and that is something we take away. We really appreciate the support we have got at various venues and the likes on social media," Powell said.
As far as the match is concerned, it was a thrilling encounter especially after it resumed post the rain break. South Africa's revised target was adjusted to 123 runs in 17 overs and whenever they seemed to be running away with the game, West Indies stormed a comeback. However, at one stage, it felt as if the hosts will come up trumps when Keshav Maharaj got out leaving his side to score 13 runs from 10 balls.
But Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen made sure South Africa didn't choke this time around and took the team over the line helping them qualify for the semifinal of the T20 World Cup.
