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Indian fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh's impressive performances helped India register their fourth consecutive win in the T20 World Cup. India defeated Afghanistan by 47 runs, marking a victorious start to the Super Eight stage of Group One. Batting first, India scored 181 runs for eight wickets in 20 overs, with Suryakumar Yadav scoring a half-century. In response, Bumrah and Arshdeep each took three wickets, enabling India to bowl out Afghanistan for 134 runs. Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai top-scored with 26 runs off 20 balls, including two fours and a six.
India's Bowling Excellence
Indian bowlers performed excellently, successfully defending their score. India's next match will be against Bangladesh on Saturday. India currently tops Group One of the Super Eight stage with two points. Afghanistan's innings faltered early, losing wickets at regular intervals. Since December 2023, India has won eight consecutive T20 matches. Previously, India had won nine consecutive matches from January 2020 to December 2020 and 12 consecutive matches from November 2021 to February 2022.
Suryakumar Equals Kohli's Record
Suryakumar Yadav scored 53 runs off 28 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes. He was awarded the Player of the Match for his performance. This is the 15th time Suryakumar has received this award in T20s, equaling Virat Kohli's record for the most Player of the Match awards in T20 cricket.
Afghanistan's Poor Batting Performance
Afghanistan's bowlers performed well, but their batsmen failed to deliver. Bumrah gave Afghanistan early blows, and Arshdeep extinguished their remaining hopes. Afghanistan lost their first wicket in the second over when Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for 11 runs. The team continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, and at one point, their score was 23 for three. Although Gulbadin Naib tried to stabilize the innings with Azmatullah, Kuldeep Yadav ended their partnership by dismissing Naib for 17 runs. Jadeja then took the wicket of Omarzai, giving Afghanistan a significant setback. Kuldeep, included in the playing XI for the first time in this T20 World Cup, made full use of the opportunity.
India's Opening Pair Fails Again
India's opening pair of Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma has yet to provide a strong start in this World Cup. Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Rohit for eight runs off 13 balls. This is the eighth time this year that Rohit has been dismissed by a left-arm fast bowler in T20 cricket. In 19 innings, Rohit faced 98 balls and scored 128 runs, averaging 16. In the current tournament, Rohit has scored 99 runs, including a half-century.
Kohli's Struggle Continues
Kohli's bat didn't produce a significant inning in this match either. He scored 24 runs off 24 balls before being dismissed by Rashid Khan. Although Kohli performed better than in his previous innings, he couldn't make a considerable impact. His poor form has been a disappointment for fans, with only one six in this match. Rashid Khan dismissed Kohli for the third time in T20 cricket. In the last 10 innings against Rashid, Kohli has scored only 108 runs in 85 balls, being dismissed three times. In his previous three matches, Kohli scored just five runs.
Suryakumar and Hardik's Brilliant Partnership
India's innings wobbled at 90 for four, but Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Hardik Pandya's brilliant partnership rescued the team. They added 60 runs for the fifth wicket. Suryakumar completed India's century in the 13th over with two fours off Azmatullah Omarzai. Hardik also hit boundaries off Naveen and Rashid, showcasing his intent. He hit a four and a six off Noor in the 16th over. Suryakumar completed his half-century off 27 balls with a six and a four off Farooqi but was caught by Nabi on the next ball. India's score reached 150 in the same over. Hardik hit a six off Naveen in the next over but was caught by Omarzai on the boundary. Ravindra Jadeja scored seven runs before being caught by Gulbadin Naib off Farooqi. Axar Patel scored 14 runs, including two fours in Naveen's over, before being run out on the last ball, helping India surpass 180 runs.
