Former Team India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey recently spoke about Axar Patel’s costly over in the final match of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Paras Mhambrey praised South African middle-order batsman Heinrich Klaasen for his batting and described him as one of the best T20 batsmen in the world.

The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team cruised to a seven-wicket win in the 2024 T20 World Cup final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29. The Men in Blue beat South Africa in a closely-fought encounter to end their 11-year ICC trophy drought. Notably, it was India’s first World Cup win since 2011.

The Indian team was on the verge of losing the match at one point after Heinrich Klaasen’s onslaught off Axar Patel. Klaasen scored 24 runs, including two sixes and two fours, off Axar’s bowling in the 15th over. After the over, the match swung in favour of the Proteas, who needed 30 runs in the last five overs.

Heinrich Klaasen was at the top of his game – Paras Mhambrey

In a conversation with News18, Paras Mhambrey highlighted Heinrich Klaasen’s ability to handle both spin and fast pitches effectively. The former bowling coach said that Klaasen was at his best during the final match.

“Obviously, you should have seen Axar’s over. I think overall, the way Heinrich Klaasen batted, he is one of the best T20 batsmen in the world. I think he can be number one. The way he bats consistently, he is comfortable against both spin and quicks. So he was on top of the game,” Paras said.

The 52-year-old said Heinrich Klaasen bowled exceptionally well despite Axar Patel not bowling bad deliveries. Mhambrey added that Klaasen managed to hit difficult deliveries effectively. He claimed that Rohit Sharma also acknowledged that there was not much a bowler could do in that over.

“If you look at Axar’s over, you split it and go ball by ball, it didn’t look like he was playing a bad ball anywhere. Whatever shot he played, it didn’t look like he was giving any room, half-volley, forward. Whatever length he put in, which was a difficult length, he hit it. So obviously, he bowled better. And it happens, like Rohit obviously spoke to him on the ground. You know, it happens. Axar has bowled better consistently. But if a batsman is in good form, you can’t do anything,” he added.

Jasprit Bumrah bowled the crucial 16th over and conceded just four runs. Hardik Pandya then dismissed Klaasen on the first ball of the 17th over. Pandya took a crucial wicket of David Miller when South Africa needed 16 runs in the final over. Suryakumar Yadav took an exceptional catch at the boundary line.

Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh conceded just 22 runs in the last five overs. Rahul Dravid and his coaching team, including Paras Mhambrey, have ended their tenure with the Indian men’s cricket team. However, fielding coach T Dilip has been retained for India’s white-ball series against Sri Lanka.

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