India secured a commanding 68-run victory over England in the second semifinal of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at Providence Stadium, Guyana, on Thursday. This win sets up a final clash with South Africa on June 29.

Strong batting performance

India, batting first, posted a competitive total of 171/7. Skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front with a 57 off 39 balls, his 32nd T20I fifty, while Suryakumar Yadav contributed a crucial 47 off 36 balls. Their partnership of 73 runs was vital, especially after early losses of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant.

See Also: [Watch] T20 World Cup 2024: Rahul Dravid consoles Virat Kohli after his disappointing dismissal in 2nd semi-final against England

Key contributions

On a slow pitch, Rohit mixed caution with aggression, hitting six fours and two sixes. Suryakumar’s innings was equally important, helping stabilize the innings. Handy runs from Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel towards the end ensured India crossed the 170-run mark. England’s Chris Jordan was the standout bowler with figures of 3-37.

Virat Kohli’s struggles persisted as he managed only 9 runs before being bowled by Reece Topley. Kohli’s early dismissal added pressure, but Rohit and Suryakumar’s partnership provided the necessary stability.

England’s chase falters

England started aggressively with skipper Jos Buttler hitting boundaries, but Axar Patel quickly dismissed him with a reverse sweep that led to an easy catch for Rishabh Pant. Jasprit Bumrah followed up by clean bowling Phil Salt, and Axar continued his dominance by bowling Jonny Bairstow and stumping Moeen Ali.

Kuldeep Yadav’s impact

Kuldeep Yadav joined the wicket-taking spree, trapping Sam Curran LBW and cleaning up Harry Brook, who had scored 25 runs. Kuldeep claimed his third wicket by dismissing Chris Jordan LBW, and his brilliant throw also resulted in Liam Livingstone’s run out. Adil Rashid was run out by Suryakumar Yadav, and Bumrah delivered the final blow by dismissing Jofra Archer LBW, wrapping up England’s innings for just 103 runs in 16.4 overs.

The last instance of a team having an unbeaten run throughout a Men’s ICC tournament was the Champions Trophy 2013 (India).

The two unbeaten teams in the competition will face-off in the final, no team has had an unbeaten run throughout a T20 World Cup previously.

Biggest win margins for India in T20 World Cups

India’s largest victory margin in T20 World Cup history is by 90 runs against England at Colombo RPS in 2012. This is followed by a 73-run win over Australia in Mirpur in 2014, a 71-run triumph against Zimbabwe in Melbourne in 2022, a 68-run win against England at Providence in the 2024 semifinal, and a 66-run victory over Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi in 2021.

Biggest win margins in T20 World Cup knockouts (by Runs)

The largest win margin in T20 World Cup knockout matches is held by the West Indies, who defeated Australia by 74 runs at Colombo RPS in the 2012 semifinal. India follows with a 68-run victory over England at Providence in the 2024 semifinal. Sri Lanka secured a 57-run win over the West Indies at The Oval in the 2009 semifinal, and the West Indies defeated Sri Lanka by 36 runs in the 2012 final at Colombo RPS.

Player of the Match

Axar Patel | Player of the Match: I have bowled in the powerplay in the past, so I had to bowl in the powerplay, that was the plan. The wicket was stopping and keeping low, so tried to bowl in the right areas. The wicket was slow, so I tried to bowl slower in this match, it worked for me. Wouldn’t have worked had I bowled quicker, would have been easier for their batters. Our batters told us that the wicket wasn’t easy, so 160 was a good total according to us. That partnership (between Rohit and SKY) was magnificent, they scored the occasional boundaries and rotated the strike. Not thinking about Barbados at the moment, will celebrate this player of the match award first.

In the T20 World Cup semifinal against England on Thursday, June 27, Rohit Sharma delivered yet another outstanding performance with the bat. The India captain scored a brilliant 57 runs off just 39 balls, setting a strong foundation for the team after being put in to bat by the England skipper.

Early wickets and Rohit’s resilience

India faced early setbacks with the quick dismissals of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant. Kohli, struggling with form, managed only 9 runs before being bowled by Reece Topley. Pant also fell cheaply, putting pressure on the team. However, Rohit Sharma rose to the occasion, steering the innings with his aggressive and fluent batting.

See Also: T20 World Cup 2024, 2nd Semi-Final, India vs England: Rare failure for Virat Kohli in ICC knockout stage

A captain’s knock

Rohit took the attack to the English bowlers, maintaining a high scoring rate and ensuring India stayed competitive. His 57-run knock was not only crucial in the context of the match but also significant as he became the first Indian captain to score a half-century in T20 World Cup knockout stages. His dismissal came after an impressive display, but he had already set the stage for a strong Indian performance.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma on Thursday became only the fifth Indian captain to score 5000 international runs while leading the side across formats. Rohit, who already has over 19,000 runs to his name across the three formats, has now scored 5013 runs from 122 matches he’s led India in. He crossed the milestone while batting against England in the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal.

Fan reactions

Rohit Sharma’s fantastic batting performance earned him praise from fans and cricket enthusiasts. His ability to lead from the front and deliver under pressure highlighted his importance to the team and his exceptional form in the tournament.

Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav played pivotal roles in guiding India to a respectable total of 171 for 7 in their 20 overs against England at Providence Stadium, Guyana in the second semi-final of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. After a shaky start, with India at 40 for 2 in 5.2 overs, the pair steadied the innings with a solid 73-run partnership.

Key Performances

Rohit Sharma scored a crucial 57 off 39 balls, while Suryakumar Yadav contributed 47 off 36. Their efforts were instrumental in pulling India out of trouble and setting a competitive target. Chris Jordan was the standout bowler for England, taking 3 wickets for 37 runs.

See Also: [Watch] T20 World Cup 2024: Rahul Dravid consoles Virat Kohli after his disappointing dismissal in 2nd semi-final against England

England’s Early Advantage

England’s captain Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to bowl first. The decision initially seemed to pay off as India lost two early wickets. Virat Kohli’s struggles continued, and Rishabh Pant, batting at number three, couldn’t make a significant impact.

The vital partnership

When India found themselves in a precarious situation, Rohit and Suryakumar stepped up. Despite a 75-minute rain delay, they assessed the conditions well and mixed caution with aggression both before and after the break. Rohit reached his half-century before getting out, while Suryakumar fell just three runs short of his fifty. Their contributions were crucial in executing India’s plans and setting a challenging target.

Middle overs and finishing touches

England’s spinners, Rashid and Livingstone, bowled economical spells during the middle overs, applying pressure on the Indian batsmen. However, Hardik Pandya played a quick cameo to boost the score before Jordan dismissed him in the 18th over. Shivam Dube was out for a golden duck, but Ravindra Jadeja added valuable runs towards the end, helping India cross the 170-run mark.

Highest target successfully chased in day T20s at Providence: 164 by WI vs BAN in 2022 (Overall: 195 by GAW vs SLK in CPL 2022)

Most wickets for England in T20 WC
31 – Adil Rashid (ER: 6.9)
31 – Chris Jordan (ER: 8.06)
30 – Stuart Broad (ER: 7.72)
22 – Graeme Swann (ER: 6.5)

Innings progression
Overs 1-13: 110/2 (RR: 8.46)
Overs 14-17: 22/2 (RR: 5.5)
Overs 18-20: 39/3 (RR: 13)

Pace vs Spin in this innings
Pace: 6/120 in 12 overs (ER: 10)
Spin: 1/49 in 8 overs (ER: 6.125)

Rain has interrupted play at Providence Stadium, Guyana, where Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav are aiming to stabilize a two-down India against England in the 2nd semi-final of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. India 65/2 at the end of 8 Overs.

A total of 250 minutes of additional time has been allotted to this semi-final game in case the game is pushed forward. There is no reserve day in place for this semi-final match. The winner of this game will face South Africa in the summit clash.

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Early wickets for England

Virat Kohli was bowled out by Reece Topley in the third over, scoring just 9 runs. This was Kohli’s fifth single-digit score in seven innings this World Cup. Kohli tries to make room on the leg side, goes for a slog, misses, and is bowled out.

Sam Curran trapped Rishabh Pant in the sixth over for 4 runs, adding to India’s early troubles. Pant attempts to go over the midwicket fielder but ends up giving an easy catch.

Delayed start and additional time

England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and opted to bowl first after a rain delay of 1 hour and 20 minutes. To accommodate any further delays, 250 minutes of additional time have been allotted for this semi-final.

Heavy rain causes break in play

Play has been halted again due to heavy rain, with umbrellas going up in the crowd. The game can be extended by up to 250 minutes, and there are still at least 175 minutes available before overs start being deducted.

As India and England gear up for their high-stakes clash in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final at Providence Stadium in Guyana. However, the toss has been delayed. The wait is over, England win the toss and choose to field first.

India vs England: Who said what at the toss?

Rohit Sharma – We would have batted first, the weather looks good, whatever had to happen, it has already happened. We wanted to put runs on the board. The pitch tends to get slower as the game goes on. Same team for us.

Jos Buttler – We’ll bowl first. Looks like a good surface, the bounce will be low, with the rain around, we thought it’ll be a bit of an advantage to bowl first. Excited to be in a semi-final, but some of us have been here before.

Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah

England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler(w/c), Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley

Toss : Live updates

11:09 local time, 15:09 GMT, 20:39 IST: Good news! We’ll have the toss at 11:20 am, and the game will start at 11:45 am.

The latest update suggests that Umpries will do an inspection at 11:15 am (8:45 pm IST).

10:30 Local Time, 14:30 GMT, 20:00 IST: The drizzle has stopped and covers are coming off and the sun is out too. Umpires will do inspection at inspection at 11 am (8:30 pm IST).

10:05 Local Time, 14:05 GMT, 19:35 IST: Groundsmen are coming out, covers may be coming off in a few minutes. Dravid is out assessing the conditions and he has a few words with Paul Reiffel, the 4th umpire for the game. The groundstaff are out in numbers now, they could start to remove the covers.

10:00 Local Time, 14:00 GMT, 19:30 IST: The toss has been delayed. The covers are well in place and the wait continues. For all rain delay updates and the ICC playing conditions.

See Also: Ajinkya Rahane to join Leicestershire for County Championship

Impact of weather on the match

The Accuweather app forecasts a mixed day with frequent arrivals of clouds and a couple of showers, primarily early in the day. As the day progresses, the weather is expected to get better and we can expect a match here. However, this unpredictability has raised concerns among players and fans and the social media has been busy with the regular updates from Guyana.

See also: T20 World Cup 2024, 2nd Semi-Final, India vs England: Here are the possible outcomes of match amidst frequent rains

What if the match gets washed out?

If the India vs England semifinal encounter at Providence Stadium in Guyana today succumbs to adverse weather conditions, India would secure their spot in the final.

No reserve day allocated

No reserve day is allocated for the India vs England semifinal in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. So, if there’s no play India will go to the final.

India’s young wicketkeeper-batter, Dhruv Jurel, is poised to make his mark in the Indian Premier League 2024. The talented Rajasthan Royals player is transitioning to the white-ball format following a stellar debut for India in the Test series against England.

Stellar Performance in Test Series

During the recent Test series against England, Dhruv Jurel emerged as one of the standout performers. His pivotal contribution came in the fourth Test match at Ranchi, where he played a game-changing innings, scoring 90 runs in the first innings. This performance underscored his batting prowess and played a crucial role in India’s victory.

See Also: IPL 2024: Royal Challengers Bangalore best playing XI and impact player strategies

Idolizing MS Dhoni

Dhruv Jurel remains grounded despite his remarkable performance and acknowledges his cricketing idol, MS Dhoni. Speaking to India Today, Jurel expressed his admiration for Dhoni, stating that the former Indian captain has been his inspiration since the beginning of his career. However, he humbly remarked that emulating Dhoni’s achievements is daunting, emphasizing his desire to carve his path in cricket.

Prioritizing Test Cricket

While Dhruv Jurel is poised to make his mark in IPL 2024, he remains steadfast in his commitment to Test cricket. In an interview with India Today, Jurel revealed that Test matches hold a special place in his heart, and representing India in the most extended format of the game has always been his primary goal. Despite his childhood dream of playing 200 Test matches, Jurel acknowledged the practicality of such aspirations with a chuckle.

“Test matches are always my first priority. I was asked this when I was a kid and I said at the time that I wanted to play 200 Test matches. I realised later that 200 Tests is a lot (laughs),” Jurel told India Today.

IPL Journey: From Debut to Expectations

Having made his debut for Rajasthan Royals in the 2023 season of the IPL, Dhruv Jurel has already showcased glimpses of his talent in the T20 format. With 13 matches under his belt and a commendable strike rate, Jurel is expected to be one of the standout players for the franchise in IPL 2024. Cricket enthusiasts eagerly anticipate his performances and contributions to the team’s success.

When quizzed about his batting preferences, Dhruv Jurel revealed his fondness for facing fast bowlers. The pull shot is his favorite stroke, reflecting his confidence against pace. He also shared camaraderie with his teammates, highlighting Rinku Singh in Uttar Pradesh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Riyan Parag at Rajasthan Royals.