After two weeks of fierce competition in the 20-team event in India and Sri Lanka, cricket’s T20 World Cup advances to the Super Eights stage on Saturday.
If five exceptional solo performances from the group stage will be chosen, India captain Suryakumar Yadav’s match-winning knock against the USA will surely come on top, as it avoided one of the biggest upsets in cricket history.
In their opening group encounter against the USA, defending champions India were in serious trouble at 77/6 until captain SKY saved his team with an undefeated 84 off 49 balls.
At Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium, Suryakumar constructed before launching his signature tumbling scoops, ramps, and sweeps in an incredible innings that had the 35,000-strong crowd cheering.
After striking his 50 off 36 balls, he launched a late assault that took his tally to 10 fours and 4 sixes.
Suryakumar was vicious off Saurabh Netravalkar’s last over, blasting two tumbling sixes and two fours as it vanished for 21 runs to take India to 161/9 – a total that they were able to defend.
Apart from SKY pyrotechnics, West Indies pacer Romario Shepherd tore out Scotland’s tail, earning him the tournament’s first hat-trick in his team’s opening victory. When skipper Shai Hope threw the ball to Shepherd, Scotland had a chance at 133/5 after 16 overs, chasing 183.
Devastatingly, Shepherd dismissed Matthew Cross, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson and Safyaan Sharif for no runs in five balls. Shepherd finished with 5/20 from his three overs, as Scotland was unable to recover from 133/9.
In the biggest upset of the group stages, Zimbabwe defeated Australia, and Blessing Muzarabani, their gigantic fast bowler, recorded his T20 best of 4/17. Josh Inglis (8) and Tim David, a dangerous power hitter, were dismissed for ducks by the 2.03-meter (6-foot-8-inch) Muzarabani, who took advantage of the pitch’s bounce and pace in Colombo.
Australia’s Matt Renshaw (65) was leading the chase when Muzarabani struck again, roaring and showing off his muscles after having the Australian caught at mid-off. Not content to stop there, he took Adam Zampa’s wicket as Australia was dismissed for 146, a shocking outcome that ultimately resulted in their elimination.
Pathum Nissanka of Sri Lanka stated hitting the tournament’s maiden century was a “dream” and caused Australia, the 2021 champions, to suffer a second loss. As Sri Lanka easily chased down their 182 target with two overs remaining to win by eight wickets, Nissanka completed his century off 52 balls at a crowded stadium in Kandy. With ten fours in his second T20 international century, Nissanka helped Sri Lanka secure their place in the Super Eights.
19-year-old opening batsman for Canada Yuvraj Samra became the youngest player in the tournament’s history and the first player from an associate nation to hit a century in the T20 World Cup. The left-hander, named after the legendary former Indian all-round player Yuvraj Singh, scored 110 in 65 balls against New Zealand, including 11 fours and six sixes – the highest individual knock of the tournament so far.
