St John’s [Antigua], June 22 (ANI): Team India smashed a total of 13 sixes in their ICC T20 World Cup Super Eights clash against Bangladesh on Saturday, the highest they have smashed in a single T20 WC match.
During the game against Bangladesh, India overtook its total of 11 sixes smashed against England during a match back in the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup, which also included seven sixes by Yuvraj Singh, who smashed Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over, becoming the first-ever Indian to do so in international cricket.
In this match against Bangladesh, Men in Blue smashed 13 sixes, of which three came from the willow of star batters Virat Kohli, Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya. Rishabh Pant smashed two sixes, while skipper Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav smashed a six each.
The most number of sixes in a single T20 WC innings by a team is by the Netherlands, who smashed 19 sixes against Ireland in an inning back in the 2014 edition of the tournament to chase down 190 runs in just 13.5 overs.
This is India’s third-highest total in T20 World Cup history, with their biggest score being 218/4 against England back in 2007.
No team has successfully chased a 180-plus target in all T20s in North Sound before.
Coming to the match, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to field first. Openers skipper Rohit Sharma (23 in 11 balls, with three fours and a six) and Virat Kohli (37 in 28 balls, with a four and three sixes) put on an attacking 39-run opening stand. After early dismissals of the openers and Suryakumar Yadav (6), India was restricted to 77/3 in 8.3 overs. Then, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant (36 in 24 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes), Shivam Dube (34 in 24 balls, with three sixes) and Hardik Pandya (50* in 27 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) pushed India to 196/5 in their 20 overs.
Dube-Pandya had a fine 53-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Tanzim Hasan Sakib (2/32) and Rashid Hossain (2/43) were the top bowlers for Bangladesh.
India needs to defend 197 runs to win and have a foot in the door for the semis.
India is in second place in Group 1 of Super Eights, with a win against Afghanistan and two points. Bangladesh is at the bottom place, having lost their game against Australia. This one is a crucial game for them to keep their Super Eights hopes alive while India will pretty much reach the semifinals with a win over Bangladesh. (ANI)
