In the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Guyana, Team India demonstrated a clinical approach with the ball as the Men in Blue overpowered England, the reigning champions, by 68 runs.
With this victory, Team India have advanced to their first T20 World Cup final in ten years and only their third overall.
In the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados on Saturday, Team India led by Rohit Sharma will square off against South Africa.
The match between India and England in Guyana was a rematch of their semi-final at the T20 World Cup 2022 in Adelaide. Even though India had lost by a humiliating 10-wicket margin at the time, they were determined to seek revenge.
After winning the toss, England decided to field. The rain in Guyana caused the toss to be delayed by over two hours.
However, Virat Kohli’s removal in the third over, which was easily cleaned up by Reece Topley, dealt an early shock to India.
India lost Rishabh Pant (4) in the sixth over as well. A little rain delay occurred before the eighth over was delivered, but Rohit Sharma (57) and Suryakumar Yadav (47) were unfazed as they put up 73 runs for the third wicket.
After SKY was dismissed, India were 124/4 in the 16th over. However, Hardik Pandya (23), Ravindra Jadeja (17*), and Axar Patel (10*) helped them to 171/7. In response, England’s batters were reduced to 39/3 on the powerplay, demonstrating their utter failure.
With the exception of captain Jos Buttler (23), most of the hitters were not aggressive, as Axar Patel (3/23) and Kuldeep Yadav (3/19) controlled the bowling attack. With two wickets added by Jasprit Bumrah (2/12), England was dismissed for 103 in 16.4 overs.
Also Read: How BCCI fueled Afghanistan’s meteoric rise in world cricket
During the India-England game in Guyana, a number of records were made, some of which are noteworthy and others of which are not. Here, we examine a few of those:
- In the 20th over of India’s innings, Axar Patel struck a slower ball from Chris Jordan over beyond long-on for a maximum, marking his 500th six of the 2024 T20 World Cup. This is the first T20 World Cup edition in which 500 sixes have ever been hit. —- –
- In T20 cricket, Kuldeep Yadav has taken 200 wickets to date. By doing this, the wristspinner joins the ranks of 13 Indian bowlers.
- In Thursday’s T20 World Cup semi-final against England, Virat Kohli’s score of 9 is his lowest ever. In comparison, Kohli struck 50 against England in 2022, 89 against the West Indies in 2016, and 72* against South Africa in 2014.
- In a T20 World Cup, Jasprit Bumrah nearly surpassed Arshdeep Singh’s record for most wickets for India. This year, Arshdeep has already claimed 15 wickets, and Bumrah’s two on Thursday brought his total to 13.
- The Men in Blue’s victory over England on Thursday, by a score of 68 runs, ranks fourth among their victories in T20 World Cup history. India has defeated Australia by 73 runs in 2014, Zimbabwe by 71 runs in 2022, and England by 90 runs in 2012. In terms of runs, this victory is also the second-largest win margin for a side in T20 World Cup elimination matches.
- India is getting closer to South Africa in terms of most victories in a single T20 World Cup. That record is now held by South Africa with eight victories, followed by India with seven. Their eleventh consecutive T20I victory came against England in the semi-final on Thursday.
- In the shortest format of the gentleman’s game, which started in December 2023, this is India’s second-longest winning run. It can tie their record of 12 wins, which they held between November 2021 and February 2022.
