Top 3 Indian performers against New Zealand in the World Cup semifinal ft Mohammed Shami
India made it 10 out of 10 in the ongoing World Cup as they stormed into the final at the expense of a crestfallen New Zealand. The entire unit came together yet again in the tournament, first producing an absolute masterclass with the bat and then overcoming a few jitters in the middle that somewhat made New Zealand believe, before India stole the show with the ball as well as they secured a 70-run win against the Kiwis.
There was a flurry of Indian performers who stole the show, punishing the Kiwis throughout the match. Whether with the bat or the ball, the Men in Blue were simply unstoppable. As India gear up for the grand finale, here’s a look at the top three Indian performers against New Zealand.
1. Virat Kohli – 117 runs
The former Indian captain was in effusive touch, leading the show from the very front. This was the 50th ODI century scored by Virat Kohli as he surpassed the Master Blaster in front of a jampacked Wankhede, the same ground that saw India lifting the World Cup in 2011 and Kohli lifting Sachin on his shoulders. He smashed nine fours and two sixes, scoring at a rate of 103.54.
2. Shreyas Iyer – 105 runs
The hard-hitting middle-order has been in dream touch and the way he smashed his second consecutive century and his fourth consecutive 70-plus score in the ongoing World Cup speaks volumes about his form. Scoring at a breezy rate of 150 while clobbering four fours and eight sixes, Iyer made Wankhede his playground.
3. Mohammed Shami – 7/57
Shami did go for a few runs for sure but it was him who ran through the batting unit of New Zealand like a cannon-ball set ablaze flying through a house of cards. His exploits included the likes of Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson. He walked away with the Player of the Match award for such an impressive display.