Before India tightened the noose around Afghanistan with a masterful bowling display to record a dominant 47-run victory in their opening Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav played courageously on a difficult surface. On a difficult surface, Suryakumar Yadav played bravely before India tightened the screws on Afghanistan with a masterful bowling display to win their opening Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup by 47 runs on Thursday. After India elected to bat on a surface where it was difficult to knock over the line, Rashid Khan (3/26) improved his average record against India before Suryakumar (53 off 28) played like he was the only player capable of leading his side to 181 for 8. Afghanistan gave up 134 runs in precisely 20 overs, never having been in the run chase. The Afghan batters’ poor shot selection ultimately led to their demise and prolonged their losing streak against India. Once more, Jasprit Bumrah (3/7 in four overs) proved to be too strong for the opposition, and Kuldeep Yadav (2/32), in his maiden tournament match, also had an impact.
The next Super 8 match between India and Bangladesh is scheduled for this Saturday in Antigua. In the second over of the innings, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (11 off 8) was caught behind as he took a reckless shot against Bumrah after declaring his intentions with a six and four against Arshdeep Singh. The second person Bumrah fell victim to was Hazratullah Zazai, who was called into the team to replace the injured Mujeeb Zadran. His attempt to flick off a cutter from the Indian speed spearhead went straight into the safe hands of Ravindra Jadeja at backward point. The second person Bumrah fell victim to was Hazratullah Zazai, who was called into the team to replace the injured Mujeeb Zadran. His attempt to flick off a cutter from the Indian speed spearhead went straight into the safe hands of Ravindra Jadeja at backward point. In the eleventh over, Kuldeep, who had come in for Mohammed Siraj in the playing eleven, returned Gulbadin Naib (17) with an incorrect stroke. Kuldeep worked in the middle overs. Azmatullah Omarzai led Afghanistan in scoring with 26 points out of 20. The loss of wickets during the innings prevented Afghanistan from regaining control of the match. Earlier, on a track where the other hitters found it difficult to gain momentum, Suryakumar was at his most carefree. Other noteworthy efforts came from Hardik Pandya (32 off 24) and Rishabh Pant (20 off 11), who both discovered the boundaries from the very go.
For the first time in this competition, Virat Kohli (24 off 24) reached double digits, but he was removed just as he was getting settled. To put pressure on the opposition, Rashid (3/26), who had not yet taken a wicket against India, struck in his opening three overs. India will probably choose to bat at Kensington Oval, and judging by the way the ball behaved on the ground in the first innings, it will be difficult to play through the line. In the third over of Fazalhaq Farooqi’s (3/33) innings, skipper Rohit Sharma (8) attempted to accelerate the scoring rate but was caught at mid-on after hitting the toe end of his bat. Rashid entered the game immediately following India’s 47-for-1 Powerplay. In the seventh over, the brilliant spinner dismissed the dangerous Pant. Before succumbing to Rashid, the southpaw was once again unafraid to use the sweep and bold reverse sweep against the spinners. India felt the heat after Rashid’s second over when Kohli was caught at long off. Before the spinner claimed his third wicket, Shivam Dube (10), who was trapped in front after the ball twisted back in sharply and crashed into his back leg, Suryarkumar calmed the nerves with a barrage of sweeps against Rashid.
From the opposite end, Surya continued to find the huge hits. He spectacularly blasted a wide full toss from Azmatullah Omarzai to deep square-leg, and then he was well on his way to a half-century thanks to a six and four from Farooqi. Hardik then entered the fray and repeatedly smashed the ball into the stands following Surya’s exit. His physical might was evident in his straight six off left-arm spinner Noor Ahmed, which nearly broke the press box window. India ultimately performed admirably, recording their greatest score at the historic location, which ultimately proved to be insurmountable.
