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England Test captain Ben Stokes reflected on the team’s defeat against India in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024. He expressed his disappointment for skipper Jos Buttler and the entire team while acknowledging the positive aspect of reaching the semi-finals.
The match saw England’s departure from the tournament after a lackluster performance with both bat and ball. Initially, England struggled to maintain pressure on India after claiming early wickets. Rohit Sharma’s aggressive 57 runs, coupled with Suryakumar Yadav’s 47, propelled India to a formidable total of 171 runs.
In response, England faltered, especially after the dismissal of skipper Jos Buttler who scored 23 runs aggressively. They lost wickets rapidly, unable to handle India’s spinners. Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav each claimed three wickets, restricting England to a mere 103 runs. India secured a commanding 68-run victory, advancing to the T20 World Cup 2024 final.
Ben Stokes acknowledged the challenges faced by England throughout the tournament, including weather conditions and external criticisms. Speaking to Sky Sports, he shared his thoughts on the team’s journey and the obstacles they encountered.
“Devastated for Jos, Motty and everyone involved out there, all the players and staff because you know, it wasn’t an easy road for them to get to the semi-final. There was obviously, you know, like a little bit to do with the weather could have affected us and you know, a little bit of unwarranted criticism, which you always seem to get being an English team for some reason.”
Got through to another major, you know, tournament semi-final, which is no mean feat – Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes continued to praise England for their achievement in reaching the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024. He emphasized that progressing to the knockout stage was a significant accomplishment. However, he also acknowledged India’s dominance in the match, highlighting their strong performance throughout. Stokes added:
“Got up with football at the moment, but they’re through to the knockouts as well, aren’t they? Yeah, god. But look, it got through to another major, you know, tournament semi-final, which is no mean feat, you know, some seriously good teams out there, but you’ve got to give credit to India the way that they played in a big game.”
India and South Africa will face off in the T20 World Cup 2024 final on Saturday, June 29th, at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
