Shardul Thakur took a wonderful juggling catch to remove Rahmanullah Gurbaz during India’s 2023 World Cup opener against Afghanistan in Delhi on Wednesday.
The Afghans had a good start after opting to bat first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran exchanged some superb strokes until Jasprit Bumrah dismissed the latter.
However, Gurbaz worked with Rahmat Shah to get the team out of trouble and added some key runs. Hardik Pandya delivered a well-directed bouncer just as Afghanistan appeared to be on track to score a large total.
Gurbaz attempted a powerful shot, but the ball’s speed threw off his timing. Even so, the ball was sailing towards the boundary line, but Shardul Thakur made a skilled intercept. He managed to grab it on his first try but had to flick it away as he was about to step over the boundary. Remarkably, he swiftly returned and successfully completed the catch on his second effort.
Watch the clip here:
Rahmat Shah’s Innings Ends by Shardul Thakur’s Ball
Shardul Thakur struck with the ball to dismiss Rahmat Shah shortly after taking a superb catch at the boundary, reducing Afghanistan to 63/3 in 13.1 overs.
It was a fairly complete birth on the center and leg. Rahmat attempted a drive, but the ball jagged back in and landed on his back leg. The umpire ruled it out, but the hitter requested the DRS. The judgement was maintained when a review revealed that the ball had clipped the wickets.
With momentum on their favor, the Men in Blue will seek to take a few more wickets in order to break Afghanistan’s back. The Afghans, on the other hand, will rely on their captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, to perform well and lead the team from the front.