“SKY is the savior!”- Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul guide Team India to a challenging total against Zimbabwe
Follow Us
KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav once again rescued Team India from lethargic innings to a challenging total against Zimbabwe on Sunday [November 6] at the MCG in Melbourne. His unbeaten 61-run knock guided India to 186/5 in 20 overs.
Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bat first. While opening, he did not produce much with his bat when Blessing Muzarabani dismissed him on 15 runs off 13 balls in the fourth over.
But the other opener KL Rahul went on to smash his second consecutive half-century. He played 35 balls to score 51 runs with three fours and three maximums at a strike rate of 145.71. Sikandar Raza in the 13th over showed Rahul the way back to the hut.
Raza pitched a fuller-length ball, which Rahul attempted to clear to the long straight boundary, but he ended up cutting it. The ball traveled toward the edge of the boundary where Willington Masakadza grabbed a well-judged catch.
Virat Kohli also exited the field following his 26-run knock off 25 balls (with two fours) and gave away his wicket to Sean Williams in the 12th over. Williams threw a short ball to Kohli, and the latter looked to whip it over the long off fielder. But he did not get the desired connection; the ball skied before falling into the hands of Ryan Burl.
Rishabh Pant was included instead of Dinesh Karthik but the former could score just three runs off five balls before Williams dismissed him in the 14th over. India kept losing wickets at regular intervals; till 15 over, they were tethering at 105.
But Suryakumar Yadav steadied the ship with his unbeaten 61 runs off 25 balls with six fours and four maximums at a massive strike rate of 244. He completed his half-century from just 23 balls; in the last five overs, India smashed 80 runs courtesy of Suryakumar. It was also his third half-century in this T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya also scored 18 runs off 18 balls (with two sixes) but couldn’t stay at the crease to finish the innings, as he gave away his wicket into the hands of Muzarabani off Richard Ngarava’s delivery on the second ball of the final over.
Following Suryakumar’s knock, India set a challenging total of 186/5 in their 20 overs. Men in Blue have already qualified for the semi-final following South Africa’s defeat to the Netherlands today.
Check how Twitterati reacted to Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul’s innings
ALSO READ | MS Dhoni files criminal contempt petition against IPS officer before Madras High Court
Stay Updated!
Gouri Das
(4747 Articles Published)