Rohit Sharma and Rishbah Pant (source : ICC)
India had a fantastic day against Afghanistan in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eights. Batting first, the Men in Blue suffered some early blows but Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav took control of the situation and bailed the team out. Yadav, who was criticised massively after a few flop innings earlier in the innings played some brilliant cricket as he made 53 runs off 28 balls to help India post 181 runs on the board.
It was a mountain to climb for Afghanistan in Antigua as the pitch was getting slower with every ball. They needed a rapid start but Jasprit Bumrah put the brakes, sending Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratmarullah Zazai early into the second innings. Wickets fell fast as Afghanistan were under massive pressure. After the powerplay was done, Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Omarzai took charge to rescue Afghanistan.
Also Read – Explained: Why Indian team is wearing black armbands in Super 8 clash against Afghanistan?
They built a partnership of 44 runs as Naib walked back to the pavilion after scoring 17 runs off 21 balls. He tried to play over mid-wicket but failed to time Kuldeep’s delivery as Pant picked up a running catch. Rohit Sharma, who was close to the ball didn’t attempt after Rishabh’s called it and after the catch was completed, both shared a nice moment, which went viral on social media.
Watch the video below:
A post shared by ICC (@icc)
The Indian skipper reminded that he left the ball for Rishabh while the latter made a funny gesture before bursting into all smiles. Both hugged after that as India broke a crucial partnership.
Also Read – Top 10 Memes from AFG vs IND, Match 43
After Gulbadin’s dismissal, wickets fell like a house of cards. Ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah once again had a sensational night, as the Bardoda-born cricketer picked up three wickets at a phenomenal economy rate of 1.80. Arshdeep Singh picked up two wickets in the fag end and a total of three as India won the match by 47 runs. There were multiple positives for the side in the match which would boost their confidence for the remainder of the tournament.