Jonty Rhodes Finally Responds to SKY’s Catch in T20 World Cup 2024 Final
Former South African cricketer and current fielding coach of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Jonty Rhodes, has finally shared his thoughts on Suryakumar Yadav's crucial catch in the last over of the T20 World Cup 2024 final.
Former South African cricketer and current fielding coach of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Jonty Rhodes, has finally shared his thoughts on Suryakumar Yadav’s crucial catch in the last over of the T20 World Cup 2024 final.
Suryakumar’s spectacular catch dismissed David Miller on the final ball delivered by Hardik Pandya, sealing India’s dramatic win. Despite some controversy due to an earlier disturbance of the boundary rope during India’s innings, Rhodes praised the players who make impactful moves under pressure.
“I always respect players, both on my team and the opposition, who do something that can turn the game. There’s no certainty. If it had gone for six, Miller could have continued smashing the ball out of the park. But this moment reinforces that catches can win matches in T20 cricket,” Rhodes told ANI. He pointed out that both India and South Africa demonstrated great skill and determination throughout the tournament, with India narrowly coming out on top in the crucial moments.
Rhodes expressed mixed feelings about the catch, acknowledging that South Africa could have won their first World Cup if Suryakumar had dropped the catch, and the ball had gone for a six. However, as a fielding coach closely tied to Indian cricket, Rhodes was pleased to see a moment of exceptional fielding decide the match’s outcome.
“India dominated with their performance, and the teams were so evenly matched that it was literally two meters away from the game potentially swinging in South Africa’s favor. But, as someone who values fielding and is closely associated with Indian cricket, I was really glad that a brilliant piece of fielding was the game-changing moment,” the 55-year-old added.
Post-T20 World Cup 2024 T20I Performances of India and South Africa
Following the T20 World Cup 2024, India’s second-string squad, led by Shubman Gill, achieved a 4-1 series victory over Zimbabwe, while another team under Suryakumar Yadav swept the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. In contrast, South Africa, led by Aiden Markram and featuring several second-string players as many seniors were rested, faced challenges. They endured a series sweep at the hands of the two-time T20 World Cup champions, the West Indies.
