File image of Ravi Shastri and Hardik Pandya.© X (Twitter)
Ravi Shastri loves to hype up the toss time of a match, and on the occasion of the 2024 T20 World Cup final between India and South Africa, it was no different. Shastri was at his brilliant best at the toss, ramping up the atmosphere, making it seem like a boxing encounter. However, a cheeky reference from the former India coach sent the two captains, Rohit Sharma and Aiden Markram, into laughter. Shastri called the match referee a ‘punching bag’. Often on the big occasions, things get heated up, causing players to run to the match referee. Shastri played on the context for his hilarious reference. “West Indies’ very own, to keep things calm, under control, and a potential punching bag,” said Shastri to introduce Richie Richardson, the match referee of the T20 World Cup final.
The reference caused the two captains to burst out laughing. Earlier in Shastri’s extravagant introduction, he had said that Markram and Rohit were ready to upper cut and punch in the final.
Shastri coached India during the 2021 T20 World Cup, where India suffered an early elimination.
India face South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup Final, with both nations aiming to break a tag of choking on the big stage. India would want to put their 2023 World Test Championship and World Cup Final losses behind them, and send Rahul Dravid off on a high. South Africa, on the other hand, are aiming to win their first-ever T20 World Cup title, after reaching the final for the very first time.
Another interesting fact heading into the final is that both sides are yet to lose a game in the 2024 T20 World Cup. This means that the winning side will win the tournament unbeaten, a feat that has never been achieved previously.
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