India stormed into ICC T20 World Cup final with a dominant 69-run victory over arch-rivals England in a thrilling semi-final clash on Wednesday. Match, held in Providence, was delayed due to rain, which affected the start time and 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 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 stars with the ball for India, each taking 3 wickets. Jasprit Bumrah also made a significant contribution by claiming 2 wickets. Akshar Patel was Man of the Match for his outstanding bowling performance.
This victory propels India into final against South Africa, scheduled for Saturday, June 29. Semi-final match faced several delays due to rain, with umpires inspecting the field multiple times before play could resume. If 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.
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This victory marks India’s third qualification for ICC T20 WC final. Indian team previously won the trophy in 2007 and finished as runners-up in 2014. Much-anticipated final between India and South Africa will take place on June 29, 2024.
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