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India secured their place in the ICC T20 World Cup final under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy with a victory over England in the semi-final in Guyana. This marks India’s return to the World Cup finals for the first time since 2014.
The win also served as payback for India against England, who had defeated them in the previous T20 World Cup. India posted a competitive total of 171 runs batting first and then dismissed England for just 103 runs.
Star Sports experts Navjot Singh Sidhu, Piyush Chawla, Ishant Sharma, and Sreesanth praised India for their impressive victory. Sreesanth, in particular, took a jibe at the England team, suggesting they face Pakistan and Australia, whom India defeated in this World Cup, implying they would face similar challenges.
It Was A One-Side Win: Sreesanth
“Revenge? Yeh to one-sided (win) tha. Isko revenge nahi bolte. Isko bolte hai khushi khushi ghar bhejna (this was a one-sided win; this is not called revenge; this is called happily seeing them off home),” said Sreesanth in a Star Sports video when asked if India have taken their revenge for the semifinal defeat in the 2022 edition of the tournament.
“Bhai ja ke training karo aur baad mei aao. Pakistan and Australia waise bhi ghar pe hain, jaa ke unse bhi mulaqaat kar lena (guys, go back, train and then come later; Pakistan and Australia are also at home, go and meet them),” he further added.
On his part, Sidhu praised the Indian spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja for their outstanding performance in weaving a trap around the England batsmen. Piyush Chawla and Ishant Sharma extended their best wishes to the team for the final on July 29th.
India set a target of 171 runs after being asked to bat first by England. Rohit Sharma’s 57 provided a strong start, followed by Suryakumar Yadav’s crucial 47, supported by quick contributions from Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel to reach a competitive total.
Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel each claimed three wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah added two to dismantle England’s chase. India clinched the match by 68 runs, showcasing a dominant performance that earned accolades from former cricketers and experts.
India has now defeated Ireland, USA, Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and England in their quest for their second T20 World Cup title. They demonstrated resilience in close matches and executed with belief throughout. Rohit Sharma’s captaincy has been exemplary, emphasizing aggression with the bat.
Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah have collectively taken 28 wickets, with Arshdeep accounting for 15 and Bumrah 13.
This winning streak is India’s second-longest and their record 7 wins in a single T20 World Cup edition. Both India and South Africa remain unbeaten, with one team’s streak set to end in the final. The eventual World Cup winners will maintain an unbeaten run throughout the competition.
