India secures dominant win over Afghanistan
Suryakumar Yadav played his shots despite wickets at the other end
India started their Super Eight campaign on a high note by defeating Afghanistan by 47 runs in their T20 World Cup cricket fixture at Kensington Oval Stadium, Barbados, yesterday.
Chasing a target of 182, Afghanistan struggled from the outset, managing only 134 all out in 20 overs. Indian bowlers dominated the game following a stellar knock of 53 by Suryakumar Yadav. Seamers Jasprit Bumrah (3 for 7) and Arshdeep Singh (3 for 36) spearheaded the attack, dismantling the Afghan innings. India’s trio of spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel effectively kept the pressure on the Afghan team.
Suryakumar, who scored a blistering 53 off 23 balls, was named Man of the Match for the second time in the series. Skipper Rohit Sharma once again won the toss, opting to bat first to set a challenging total on the Barbados wicket. This marked the first time India played on a West Indies pitch in this World Cup.
Openers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggled to establish a solid foundation. Skipper Sharma was dismissed early, scoring just 8 off 13 balls, as left-arm paceman Fazalhaq Farooqi struck in the third over. Kohli and Rishabh Pant (20 off 11 balls) added a 43-run stand, taking India to 47 for 1 after the power play. Afghan skipper Rashid Khan bowled a tight spell, restricting the Indian top order. Kohli, who scored a run-a-ball 24, and Pant were dismissed, with Rashid taking two crucial wickets to increase the pressure on India.
After 10 overs, India was 79 for 3. However, Suryakumar Yadav began a fighting innings to rebuild. Yadav played aggressively, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya providing solid support. They added a 60-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Yadav scored a fighting 53 off 28 balls, with 5 fours and 3 sixes, marking his second consecutive fifty, while Pandya contributed 32 off 24 balls, with 3 fours and 2 sixes, helping India surpass the 150 mark. India added 55 runs in the last five overs, finishing at 181 for 8.
Skipper Rashid Khan (3 for 26) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (3 for 33) were the standout Afghan bowlers, with Farooqi being the highest wicket-taker so far with 15 wickets.
Today, Australia will meet Bangladesh in their Super Eight game at North Sound, Antigua (6 am), while England will play South Africa in St Lucia at 8 pm (Sri Lanka time).
Chief scores
India 181 for 8 wickets in 20 overs Virat Kohli 24, Rishabh Pant 20, Suryakumar Yadav 53, Shivam Dube 10, Hardik Pandya 32, Axar Patel 12, Fazalhaq Farooqi 3/33, Naveen-ul-Haq 1/40, Rashid Khan 3/26
Afghanistan: 134 in 20 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 11, Gulbadin Nabi 17, Azmatullah Omarzai 26, Najibullah Zadran 19, Mohammed Nabi 14, Arshdeep Singh 3/ 36, Jasprit Bumrah 3/7, Axar Patel 1/15, Kuldeep Yadav 2/31, Raveendra Jadeja 1/20)