For the first time after 10 years, Indian Cricket Team has entered the final of a T20 World Cup. By defeating England in a comprehensive manner with a margin of 68 runs in the semifinal at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday, India ensured the trend that no defending champion team has ever made it to the next final of a T20 World Cup continues. They will now meet South Africa for the elusive title in the summit clash on Saturday at Barbados.
While India’s unbeaten run and Rohit Sharma’s stupendous form are the biggest takeaways ahead of the final showdown, one thing that has been a cause of concern is the patchy form of star batsman Virat Kohli. He was dismissed cheaply in the last two matches against Australia and England. He was dismissed for a duck on two occasions in the tournament and crossed the double digit only on two occasions out of the 7 matches.
Despite poor show by the leading run scorer of all formats, Indian captain Rohit Sharma has thrown his weight behind him. Sharma backed Kohli and said the latter has saved his runs for the final match. He said Virat has been serving the team since the past 15 years and a few bad games won’t make him a liability. He said Kohli is a class player and there is no denying his calibre as a batsman.
After the match against England, Sharma addressed a press conference and appreciated the bowlers for their consistent efforts throughout the series. He showered praises on Kuldeep Yadav and Akshar Patel who picked up key wickets in the semi-final match.
Powered by Rohit Sharma’s 39 ball 57, India posted a fighting total of 171/7 after 20 overs. In reply, England was bundled out for 103.