India stormed into the ICC T20 World Cup final with a dominant 69-run victory over arch-rivals England in a thrilling semi-final clash on Wednesday. The match, held in Providence, was delayed due to rain, which affected the start time and the initial toss.
Once play commenced, England won the toss and opted to field first. Despite early dismissals of key players Virat Kohli for 9 and Rishabh Pant for 4, India’s middle order stabilized the innings. Rohit Sharma led the charge with a solid 57, while Suryakumar Yadav contributed a valuable 47 runs. Hardik Pandya added a vital 23, Akshar Patel chipped in with 10, and Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten with 17, helping India post a competitive total of 171 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. Chris Jordan was the standout bowler for England, taking three wickets.
Chasing 172, England’s batting lineup faltered. Harry Brook top-scored with 25, while captain Jos Buttler managed 23 runs. Jofra Archer added 21, and Liam Livingstone scored 11, but no other batsman reached double figures. Akshar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav were the stars with the ball for India, each taking 3 wickets. Jasprit Bumrah also made a significant contribution by claiming 2 wickets. The selectors named Akshar Patel Man of the Match for his outstanding bowling performance.
This victory propels India into the final against South Africa, scheduled for Saturday, June 29. The semi-final match faced several delays due to rain, with umpires inspecting the field multiple times before play could resume. If the match had been washed out, India would have advanced to the final. This decision would be based on their superior performance in the tournament’s second stage.
This victory marks India’s third qualification for the ICC T20 World Cup final. The Indian team previously won the trophy in 2007 and finished as runners-up in 2014. The much-anticipated final between India and South Africa will take place on June 29, 2024.
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Playing XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
England: Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Phil Salt, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley