Rohit Sharma and his team have simply been incomparable in the T20 World Cup 2024, easily making it to the semis by virtue of not having lost a single game so far. In the pursuit of a berth into the final, the Men in Blue will make their bid against reigning champions England in a high-stakes encounter on June 27.
India’s most recent success was inducted out of the Australians during their final fixture in the Super 8s, thereby killing two birds with one stone by doing a great morale-boosting act ahead of the all-important encounter with England. The team turned up with an all-round performance, with the batsmen setting up a very strong target of 206 runs and the bowlers doing well to restrict Australia to 181 for 7 in their 20 overs.
Arshdeep Singh was outstanding in the game against Australia, picking up three big wickets in his four overs. However, after that fine performance, former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq accused Arshdeep of ball-tampering. Inzamam said that Arshdeep was able to get to the stage where he could generate reverse swing by around the 15th over mark, which hinted at foul play.
Reacting to such allegations in a pre-match press conference on the eve of the semi-finals, Indian captain Rohit Sharma hit back hard at the accusations.
“What can I say about this. You are playing in hot conditions, the wicket is dry and the ball reverses itself. Every team is doing reverse swing, not just India alone. One should keep an open mind and understand the conditions in which the game is being played. This is not England or Australia. That’s what I’ll say,” Rohit stated, dismissing the claims as baseless.
This squad, as far as India is concerned, will look towards breaking a jinx of 11 years without an ICC title— the Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni’s leadership was the last time India won an ICC tournament. It goes without saying that performance for this tournament has been much better due to a collective effort, where both the batting and bowling units delivered when it mattered.
The Indian batting lineup— especially Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav—has itself come up with huge totals, putting pressure on opponents. The equally formidable bowling attack is spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah and backed by Arshdeep Singh, one that has defended such mammoth totals quite well.
India will have to remain in the current form and composure as they get ready to face the defending champions, England. Jos Buttler and Co. are one aggressive side that plays a very dynamic game; therefore, it may turn out to be a challenging opponent. However, the Men in Blue are up for this challenge.
The semifinal battle, therefore, is going to be a very exciting contest where both the teams are fighting it out for that spot in the final. This game, however, means much more than just another game to India. It is not only to stamp their status again among the world’s top cricketing nations but also to end the long wait for an ICC title.
