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India defeated England by 68 runs in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024, advancing to face South Africa in the final. Skipper Rohit Sharma’s leadership, along with stellar performances from Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, helped India avenge their 2022 defeat against the defending champions.
Rohit Sharma became the first Indian captain to lead the team in three ICC global finals within 12 months: the 2023 World Test Championship, the 2023 ODI World Cup, and now the T20 World Cup. Rohit, often criticized for not performing on crucial days, scored a vital 57 off 39 balls on a tricky pitch, helping India post a total of 171 for 7 in 20 overs.
Suryakumar Yadav added 47 off 36 balls, and Hardik Pandya contributed with two sixes in a 13-ball-23. Ravindra Jadeja (17) and Axar Patel (10) also made useful contributions.
In response, England collapsed, losing five wickets by the halfway mark and getting all out for 103 in 16.4 overs. Axar Patel (3/23 in 4 overs) and Kuldeep Yadav (3/19 in 4 overs) were the standout bowlers, with Jasprit Bumrah (2/12 in 2.4 overs) also making a significant impact with a crucial slow off-cutter to dismiss Phil Salt.
India, the 2007 champions, will now face South Africa in the final in Barbados on Saturday.
In 2022, India lost to England by 10 wickets in the semi-final in Adelaide. However, the conditions at Providence Stadium this time around made batting challenging. Rohit Sharma anticipated the pitch conditions accurately, knowing that Kuldeep and Axar would be tough to handle.
Axar bowled wicket-to-wicket, taking key wickets like Jos Buttler, who played an indiscreet reverse sweep, and Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali, who were outfoxed by the pace of his deliveries. Kuldeep also varied his pace effectively, making life difficult for the English batters. The fielding from the Indian side was top-notch, complementing the bowling effort perfectly.
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