NEW YORK: India became the first team from Group A to enter the Super Eights round of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after defeating the United States by 7 wickets in Wednesday’s match played at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.
With this victory, India become the third team to qualify for the Super Eight phase, following South Africa and Australia’s successful progression.
Opting to field first after winning the toss, India’s decision paid dividends as they restricted the United States to a modest total of 110/8. Pacer Arshdeep Singh emerged as the standout performer for India, delivering a stellar bowling performance with figures of 4/9, the best-ever by an Indian player in the history of the T20 World Cup. His crucial dismissals included those of Shayan Jahangir, Andries Gous, Nitish Kumar, and Harmeet Singh.
While the USA struggled to build partnerships, Nitish Kumar stood out with a valiant knock of 27 runs off 23 balls, with opener Steven Taylor contributing 24 runs off 30 balls. Apart from Arshdeep’s heroics, Hardik Pandya impressed with 2/14, while Axar Patel also made a valuable contribution with figures of 1/25.
In pursuit of the target, India faced an early setback with pacer Saurabh Netravalkar dismissing both Virat Kohli (0) and Rohit Sharma (3) within the powerplay overs. However, a resilient partnership between Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav steadied India’s innings until Ali Khan’s delivery cleaned up Pant for 18 runs.
Undeterred by the setback, Yadav showcased his batting prowess, remaining unbeaten with a composed half-century off 49 balls, while Shivam Dube provided valuable support with a brisk 31 off 35 balls. Together, they guided India to victory, reaching the target in 18.2 overs.
Arshdeep Singh continued his stellar performance, spearheading India’s bowling attack with figures of 4/9, well-supported by Hardik Pandya’s two crucial wickets. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel also made a significant contribution, claiming a wicket to bolster India’s dominance on the field.
USA Squad
Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir, Andries Gous, Nitish Kumar, Aaron Jones (c), Corey Anderson, Harmeet Singh, Shadley van Schalkwyk, 9 Jasdeep Singh, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan
India Squad
Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
