Record-breaking Rohit Sharma led the charge! India’s dominant performance with Rohit Sharma at the helm secured their spot in the T20 World Cup Semi-Finals. They’re joined by their Group 1 companions, Afghanistan, who delivered a dramatic last-ball victory against Bangladesh. This exciting turn of events saw both Asian giants progress from the Super 8 stage, with Afghanistan’s win being crucial in eliminating hot favourite Australia from the tournament. The final day of the Super 8 was a nail-biter, and here’s a recap of the key moments you might have missed.
“T20 cricket is a great leveller. Any team can beat any other team on a given day.” – Darren Sammy
Rohit Sharma’s Record Blitz Powers India to Victory
Australia started the proceedings emphatically against India when Hazelwood dismissed Virat Kohli for a duck. However, right in the next over, the Indian Captain, Rohit Sharma, took Mitchel Starc to the cleaners. He smashed 29 runs with four towering sixes, making it the most expensive over Starc ever bowled in his career. But this was just the beginning; the Indian Skipper did not want to spare anyone. He kept hitting deliveries out of the park, becoming the first player to hit 200 sixes in T20Is. He scored 92 runs off 41 balls, breaking the record for most sixes by an Indian Batter in a single Innings of a T20 World Cup match. The previous best was seven sixes by Yuvraj Singh in that famous outing against England in the tournament’s first edition. Sharma’s innings for ages powered India to a total of 205.
Australia’s Resilience and India’s Victory
However, the Australians, displaying their trademark resilience, were in no mood to hand an easy 2 points to the Men in Blue. Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head partnered on an excellent batting display before Axar Patel pulled off a blinder on the fence to dismiss Marsh. After that, it was curtains for Australia. The head kept scoring boundaries, but on the other end, the Kangaroos lost wickets one after the other. At last, Bumrah bowled a beautifully disguised slower one to remove Travis Head. India ended up winning the match by 24 runs.
Semi-Final Anticipation: India vs. England
India now faces England in the semi-final, a rematch of the semi-final two years ago, in which Buttler and Hales stole the show. The anticipation for this clash is palpable, with both teams eager to prove their mettle.
