New Delhi: India kicked off their campaign in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup 2204 with a thumping victory against Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday, June 20. India produced an exceptional all-round performance to outclass Afghanistan and take a step towards qualifying for the semi-final of the tournament.
India got off to a poor start after opting to bat first in the game as opener Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli failed to get the team off to a good start. However, Suryakumar turned out to be the saviour once again as he slammed a brilliant knock of 53 runs off 28 balls to power the Men in Blue to a big total. SKY looked in brilliant touch and played shots across all parts of the ground in what was yet another exhibition of T20I batting for the No. 1 batter in the format.
SKY’s quickfire 53 was laced with 5 fours and three sixes. He shared a crucial 60-run stand with Hardik Pandya, who scored 32 off 24 balls as the duo propelled India to 181/8 in 20 overs. In reply, India rode on Jasprit Bumrah’s fiery spell of 3/7 off 4 overs to bundle out Afghanistan for a paltry 134 runs and wrapped up a convincing win.
With the win, India continued their unbeaten run in the T20 World Cup 2024 and moved closer to securing a spot in the semi-finals. India need to win only one of their remaining two matches against Bangladesh and Australia in the Super 8 to make it to the semi-finals for the second time in a row.
Here are the key takeaways from India’s thumping win against Afghanistan:
Suryakumar Yadav shines again
Suryakumar Yadav once again stepped up for India under pressure and rescued them after yet another top-order collapse. SKY looked composed and was on top of his game against spin as he ended up smashing 53 runs off 28 balls. His knock was laced with 5 fours and three sixes and earned him the Player of the Match award.
It was his second consecutive fifty in the tournament after his match-winning half-century against USA in India’s final group-stage clash. The prolific right-hander seems to have found his mojo and would aim to continue his stellar run as the tournament progresses.
Jasprit Bumrah shows his class
Jasprit Bumrah has comfortably been India’s best bowler in the tournament so far and he once again proved why. The ace pacer was unstoppable with the new ball as he wreaked havoc on the Afghanistan top order before returning to pile more misery on them. Bumrah finished with stunning figures of 3/7 off his 4 overs and helped India clinch a clinical win.
The pacer set the tone for the rest of the bowlers by dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz cheaply on 11 in his first over before dismissing his opening partner Hazratullah Zazai in his next over. Bumrah then picked up the important wicket of Najibullah Zadran in the 16th over to complete his three-wicket haul in the game.
Writing on the wall for Kohli, Rohit
The writing is on the wall for both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have failed to fire for India in the tournament so far. Both openers have struggled for consistency and are yet to notch up a big knock. Rohit flopped once again on Thursday as he was dismissed cheaply on 8 off 13 balls while Kohli managed only 24 off 24 balls.
With Yashasvi Jaiswal warming the bench, pressure is increasing on Kohli, who will have to get back among the runs soon if India are to fancy their chances in the tournament. Rohit too needs to fire soon as he has so far managed to score only 76 runs in the tournament so far. His only half-century in the tournament came against Ireland in India’s opening game. The Hitman has since failed in three consecutive matches.
Sanju Samson for Shivam Dube?
Shivam Dube too failed to impress once again as he was dismissed cheaply on just 10 off seven balls. The all-rounder didn’t get a chance to bowl as well. The Indian team might look at brining in Sanju Samson in the middle order after Dube’s flop show in the tournament so far. Samson is yet to feature in the playing XI in the tournament after his poor show in the warm-up match against Bangladesh ahead of the start of the tournament.
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Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav showcased their class once again as they combined to power India to a thumping 47-run win against Afghanistan in their first Super Eight game in the T20 World Cup 2024 on Thursday. Here are the key takeaways from the game. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
