The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi was the setting for yet another match in the Men's ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, where a number of records were shattered. With a capacity of 41,842 fans, the stadium stood ready to witness cricketing history.
Match Details:
Event: ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023
Match: India vs Afghanistan
ODI No.: 9
Date: 11 Oct, 2023
Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, India.
Stadium Capacity: 41,842
Cricket experts such as Sanjay Manjarekar and Gautam Gambhir predicted a high-scoring game in the pre-match show.
Toss: Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first.
Umpires: Michael Gough, Paul Reiffel, Marais Erasmus, Shahid Saikat
Match Referee: Jeff Crowe
Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first, seeking to set a challenging target for India.
The Team Lineups:
India Playing 11: Rohit Sharma (C), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
One strategic change was the omission of Ravichandran Ashwin, as the Delhi pitch was not conducive to spinners. Shardul Thakur made his way into the side in place of Ashwin.
Afghanistan Playing 11: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Afghanistan fielded the same lineup as in their previous encounter.
The One-Sided Encounter:
Afghanistan's openers made a steady start but could not convert them into big scores. The 12th and 13th overs saw them losing key wickets. However, captain Hashmat Shahidi's determined 80 and Azmat Omarzai's crucial 62 brought stability to Afghanistan's innings in the middle overs. The Afghans couldn't set a par score on a batting-friendly pitch and ended their innings at 272/8 in their 50 overs.
Jasprit Bumrah, India's pace spearhead, proved his mettle with figures of 4/39 in his 10 overs, creating immense pressure on the Afghan batting lineup. His spell was laden with 41 dot balls, showcasing his precision and control.
The Indian innings opened with Ishan Kishan, who cautiously played the eight nine balls without scoring a run before unleashing his striking power.
Ishan Kishan managed a run-a-ball 47 with five boundaries and two sixes before falling to Rashid Khan. Virat Kohli joined forces with Rohit, and demonstrated his class yet again, notching up his second consecutive fifty in the World Cup. King Kohli remained not out on 55 off 56 deliveries, including six exquisite boundaries.
However, it was the "Hitman" show from the beginning, as Rohit Sharma, in a batting masterclass, took the Arun Jaitley Stadium by storm.
Rohit Sharma's Record-Breaking Blaze:
The spotlight of the match undoubtedly belonged to Rohit Sharma, the "Hitman." His blazing knock of 131 runs from just 84 balls, featuring 16 fours and five towering sixes, shattered many records, leaving cricket fans awestruck.
Here are the records that Rohit Sharma dismantled in this unforgettable innings:
Most centuries in ODI World Cups - Rohit Sharma now holds this record with 7 centuries in just 19 innings, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who took 44 innings to score 6 centuries.
Rohit Sharma is now the joint fastest with David Warner to score 1000 runs in ICC Cricket World Cups, achieving this milestone in just 19 innings.
Rohit Sharma achieved the fastest World Cup century by an Indian, taking only 63 balls, surpassing Kapil Dev's record at 72 balls.
Rohit Sharma now holds the record for the most international sixes with 554*(473), surpassing the Universe Boss - Chris Gayle, who had 553(551) to his name.
In ICC events, Rohit Sharma is the second-highest six-hitter with 90 sixes, with Chris Gayle leading the pack at 127 sixes.
Rohit Sharma has hit the most sixes in World Cups for India.
Other Records:
- In the combined history of ODI and T20I World Cups, Virat Kohli became the leading run-scorer with 2279*, edging out Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 2278 runs.
- With a 101-meter six, Shreyas Iyer becomes the first batter to smash a 100-meter six in the 2023 World Cup.
Match Result:
India chased down Afghanistan's target with ease, amassing 273/2 in just 35 overs. They won by 8 wickets with 90 balls to spare, courtesy of Rohit Sharma's magnificent knock. He was fittingly awarded the 'Player of the Match'.
Match Summary:
Afg (272/8, 50 overs), Ind (273/2, 35 overs)
Ind won by 8 wickets and 90 balls to spare!
Player of the Match: Rohit Sharma - 131 (84 balls)
The high voltage clash!
With this victory, India looks forward to their next challenge against arch-rivals Pakistan on the 14th of October, 2023. The Men's ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 continues to deliver moments of sheer brilliance and astonishing records!
Next Match In The World Cup: ODI 10 - Aus vs SA
This will be an important match for both teams, as both are strong contenders. A win in this game will boost the team's confidence immensely. Fans can expect a closely fought, high-scoring match!
Did you know what is special about today?
- Hardik Pandya celebrates his 30th birthday
- Virat Kohli became the first captain in Test history to smash 7 double centuries on this day 4 years ago
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