India captain Rohit Sharma was elated after his team defeated Zimbabwe by 71 runs in their last group 2 match in the T20 World Cup 2022 which was played at the MCG on November 6, 2022. With this win, India finished at the top of Group 2 and will face England in the second semifinal of the tournament.
India posted 186/5 after Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat. KL Rahul made 51 and Suryakumar Yadav hammered 61* in 25 balls with 6 fours and 4 sixes and added 60 runs with Hardik Pandya (18).
In reply, Zimbabwe was never in the game after Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh rocked them early in the powerplay. Ryan Burl (35) and Sikandar Raza (34) added 60 runs to help them recover from 36/5.
But in the end, R Ashwin’s 3/22 and two wickets each from Mohammad Shami and Hardik Pandya, restricted Zimbabwe to 115 runs.
T20 World Cup 2022: WATCH- Suryakumar Yadav unleashes carnage with 25-ball 61* against Zimbabwe
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma was happy after winning the match and lauded Suryakumar Yadav in the post-match presentation.
He said about the Player of the match, Suryakumar: “It was a good all-round performance, something that we were looking for. Before the game, we were qualified but was important to come out and play the way we wanted to play. What he's (Suryakumar Yadav) doing for the team is remarkable. Playing and taking pressure off others - it's quite important. We know his ability and it allows the other guys to take some time as well. The confidence he shows when he bats, the dug-out can be at ease. He's shown a lot of composure. This is something we expect from him. He's going from strength to strength.”
India will now face England in Adelaide on Thursday in the second semi-final, while Pakistan and New Zealand will clash in the first semi-final on November 9 in Sydney.
“The key for us will be to adjust to the conditions as quickly as possible. We've played a game there but England will be a good challenge for us. Two teams going at each other, it'll be a great contest. We need to understand what each individual needs to do. It's going to be a high pressure game. We need to play well. If we do play well, we have a good game ahead as well.
You need to adjust quickly and plan accordingly. They (fans) have been brilliant, coming and watching us. We've got full house. We expect nothing less in the semifinal. Hats off to them, on behalf of the team I want to thank them,” Rohit Sharma said on Star Sports.
