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In Wednesday’s ICC T20 World Cup clash in New York, the USA incurred five penalty runs against India, marking the first instance of penalty under the stop-clock regulation. This rule, introduced in December last year and officially adopted by the ICC for international T20 matches in April 2024, was applied for the first time in this match.
As per ICC guidelines, a bowling team will be issued two warnings for exceeding the allotted time during their fielding innings. Subsequent violations incur a five-run penalty for each instance. The USA made history as the first team to face such a penalty, committing a third violation during their match against India at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York, characterized by low scores.
“Three times they have exceeded the sixty seconds they have allotted to get through between overs. So they have been going slow, moving slow, maybe overthinking due to the pressure in this game,” said commentator Ebony Rainford-Brent said.
“Maybe sometimes that is the difference between two sides. India has been there and done that at so many tournaments. Aaron Jones is living out his best at the moment, with two wins, kind of up there at the top of the group with four points and hoping, maybe overthinking about strategy. You cannot afford that in this format,” he added.
Facing a challenging situation, the USA encountered setbacks when penalized during the match, particularly as India stood at 76/3, needing 35 runs in the final five overs to secure victory. However, propelled by Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten fifty and benefiting from the additional five runs, India successfully navigated to triumph. Maintaining their flawless record, the Indian team progressed to the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup.
“It is a new rule that has come up,” former India international and ICC commentator Dinesh Karthik explained.
“There’s been a lot of pressure on the bowling team captain – India just got away with it in the game against Pakistan, where they had two faults and the third one would have been a strike. But now America have definitely done this to themselves,” he added.
In the match, Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field first. The USA managed to post a competitive total of 110/8 in their allotted 20 overs, with notable contributions from Nitish Kumar and Steven Taylor. Arshdeep and Hardik Pandya stood out as India’s top bowlers, with Axar Patel also claiming a wicket.
During the chase of 111 runs, India faced early setbacks with skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant departing for single-digit scores, leaving the team struggling at 39/3 in 7.3 overs. However, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube turned the tide with a crucial 72-run partnership for the fourth wicket, guiding India to victory.
Saurabh Netravalkar impressed as the standout bowler for the USA. Arshdeep’s outstanding bowling performance earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his impactful spell.
