India are aiming to end an 11-year trophy drought in global cricket while South Africa are chasing their first men's World Cup in any limited-overs format.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Twenty20 World Cup final at Bridgetown, Barbados, will feature the tournament's two unbeaten teams, and will end in either triumph or heartbreak for opposing captains Rohit Sharma and Aiden Markram.
Sharma's India - whose last major silverware came in the Champions Trophy in 2013 - have calmly seen off all-comers with dominant displays on tricky pitches in the United States and the Caribbean.
They reached their third T20 World Cup showpiece by eliminating defending champions England in a lopsided semi-final.
"We do understand the occasion (in the final) but it's important to keep calm and composed," Sharma said.
Markram's South Africa skittled Australia's conquerors, and first-time semi-finalists, Afghanistan for just 56 runs to coast into Sunday's (AEST) decider.
"It's a personal and individual motivation that you get to a final, to earn the opportunity to hopefully lift the trophy," Markram, the first captain to steer a Proteas team into a World Cup final, said.
India have shown plenty of squad depth and signalled they would be the team to beat when they successfully defended 119 against Pakistan in the group stage on the much-criticised drop-in pitch in New York.
"We need to make good decisions through the 40 overs," Sharma said, looking forward to the final.
"We understand the occasion is important, but we need to play good cricket as well."
In a bowlers' tournament on variable wickets, Sharma's aggressive intent in the power plays has helped India put opposition teams on the backfoot early.
His back-to-back half-centuries in the last two games helped eliminate the past two champions - Australia and England - despite his opening partner Virat Kohli going through a lean patch with just 75 runs in seven games.
Kohli has been dismissed without scoring twice as he has struggled to find form at his sixth T20 World Cup.
"We understand his class and importance in big games," Sharma said of his illustrious teammate.
"He's looking good, the intent is there - probably he's saving himself for the final."
Sharma is the only player remaining from the India side that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007.
Markram has led South Africa admirably throughout the tournament, including in nervy wins over Bangladesh and Nepal in the group stage.
Pace bowlers Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada pose a constant threat, while spinners Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj are capable of exploiting the conditions.
Quinton de Kock, has scored 204 runs in South Africa's eight consecutive wins, with David Miller's 148 the next highest tally.
Rabada and Nortje have combined for 25 wickets, while Maharaj and Shamsi have 20 between them.
Markram is conscious South Africa have never got this far - slipping in the semi-finals seven times in T20 and 50-over World Cups - but also aware of the strengths those past stars have helped create.
"They were guys that are legends of the game, legends of South African cricket," he said.
"It doesn't matter if they made a final or not, they inspired all of us to play cricket for South Africa."
Australian Associated Press
