India secure T20 World Cup final spot after humbling England in semifinal
Axar Patel sent back Moeen Ali for his third wicket. PHOTO: AFP
The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final between India and England concluded with India securing a decisive win, advancing to the finals.
India’s bowlers delivered an exceptional performance, defending their total of 171/7 and ultimately reducing England to 103 all out in 16.4 overs. India won the match by 68 runs.
India's batting effort was led by Rohit Sharma, who scored 37 off 26 balls, and a quick 17 off 9 balls from Ravindra Jadeja, helping set a competitive total.
After the restart, India’s bowlers took control of the game. Kuldeep Yadav led the attack by taking 3 wickets for just 19 runs in his 4 overs. Ravindra Jadeja also played a crucial role, maintaining an economy rate of 5.57 throughout his spell.
England found themselves struggling early on in the chase, losing wickets at regular intervals.
Axar Patel was named Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling performance, taking 3 wickets for 23 runs.Cricinfo also recognized Axar Patel as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the match with an impact score of 103.69 points.
In other notable achievements, Rod Tucker broke the record for officiating the most Men's T20 World Cup matches (46) as an umpire, surpassing Aleem Dar.
Additionally, Adil Rashid became the top wicket-taker for England in Men's T20 World Cup history with 31 wickets, surpassing Stuart Broad's 30 wickets.
In the first semi-final, South Africa dominated Afghanistan, securing their maiden spot in a T20 World Cup final. The Proteas bowled out Afghanistan for just 56 runs, with Marco Jansen and Tabraiz Shamsi each claiming three wickets.
South Africa then comfortably chased down the target with a nine-wicket victory, marking a significant milestone for a team that has faced disappointment in seven short-format World Cup semi-finals since 1992.
With both India and South Africa gearing up for their T20 World Cup final appearances, cricket fans around the globe are eager to witness an exciting showdown between two formidable teams.