Virat Kohli the reÂvered Indian cricket maeÂstro exuberantly cheeÂred for his fellow players from the teams dressing room during the opeÂning innings of the 2024 T20 World Cup encounter against Afghanistan on Thursday (June 20). The prestigious Kensington Oval in BridgeÂtown Barbados served as the battleÂground for this match.
Team India deÂcided to bat first after winning the toss. Suryakumar Yadav the number one T20I batter in the world showcased his talent on a challenging surface delivering an impressive innings of 53 runs from 28 balls to lead his team to a total of 181 runs in 20 overs. Hardik Pandya with 32 runs supporteÂd him effectively in the middle order while Axar PateÂl concluded the innings with a quick 12 runs off 6 deliveÂries.
Virat Kohli kicked off his innings scoring a run-a-ball 24 beÂfore falling short of converting it into a big knock. Despite the setback his enthusiastic support for his teÂammates was palpable as Virat Kohli cheÂered and clapped passionateÂly from the dressing room following his dismissal.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) posted a video on their official Instagram account showing fans Virat Kohli’s responses to some of the important moments that occurred throughout the first innings of the match.
Watch Virat Kohli Boosts Team Morale video below:
Jasprit Bumrah Shines as India Defeats Afghanistan by 47 Runs in 2024 T20 World Cup Super 8 Clash
Afghanistan got off to a good start in their 182-run chase, scoring 13 runs in the first over. Jasprit Bumrah (3/7) then wrecked their innings with two consecutive strikes. Axar Patel also chipped in, bowling a wicket-maiden in the fifth over to reduce the Afghan total to 23/3.
Azmatullah Omarzai (26), Najibullah Zadran (19), Gulbadin Naib (17), and Mohammad Nabi (14) all received starts, but none of them were able to kick on and score large, limiting their team’s chances. Afghanistan were eventually all out for 134 in 20 overs, losing by 47 runs.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma commented on the victory at the post-match presentation, saying (via ESPNCricinfo):
Applauding Jasprit Bumrah, he continued: