\Virat Kohli became the highest run-scorer in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup history Wednesday as India edged Bangladesh by five runs in a crunch rain-hit Twenty20 World Cup clash in Adelaide that went to the last ball.
India went top of Group 2 and can clinch a semi-final spot with a win against Zimbabwe in their final Group 2 match on Sunday after Bangladesh faltered in their revised chase of 151 in 16 overs.
Kohli’s unbeaten 64 had steered India to 184/6 but Bangladesh had looked on course for victory after racing to 66-0 in seven overs when rain stopped play causing four overs to be lost.
Opener Liton Das hit a 27-ball 60 but his run out after the 50-minute interruption heralded a Bangladesh collapse and ended on 145/6.
Needing 20 off the final over, Nurul Hasan gave them hope with a six and a four but left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh held his nerve on the last ball to hand India their third win in four matches.
It left Bangladesh all but out of the semi-finals picture.
T20 World Cup, India vs Bangladesh as it happened: India defeat Bangladesh by 5 runs in thriller
Here are some reactions to India’s impressive win:
Character & Conviction. 💪 pic.twitter.com/WuYIpr99Xn
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) November 2, 2022
2 points ✅
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) November 2, 2022
See you Sunday 👊 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/s3pyX0UJuB
Well done #TeamIndia! Keep going strong. 🇮🇳 💪🏻 💙 👍🏻 #T20WorldCup #INDvBAN
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) November 2, 2022
What an unbelievable game. Feel for Bangladesh after the momentum they built in the chase but India held their nerve...in the end. #INDvsBAN #T20worldcup
— Isa Guha (@isaguha) November 2, 2022
Quite a thrilling win for #TeamIndia. Their batting was simply brilliant. The attacking approach was good to see. Bangladesh did get off to a good start, but the bowlers kept their nerve and after the rain break, they made a strong comeback under pressure.#INDvBAN
— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) November 2, 2022
Yes boys 🇮🇳💪🧿 pic.twitter.com/KPEk0mn44M
— Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) November 2, 2022
Excellent match! #indvBang
— neeru bhatia (@neerubhatia3) November 2, 2022
Roller coaster 🔺🔻🇮🇳 🇧🇩 #T20worldcup22
— Nooshin AL Khadeer (@NooshinKhadeer) November 2, 2022
The grit and grind tigers took that all the way to the end. A loss, but their best game of the tournament. If Litton hadn't hit a ball into the clouds to bring the rain...
— Jarrod Kimber (@ajarrodkimber) November 2, 2022
Before rain-break After rain-break pic.twitter.com/BkAX0EnUHm
— Manya (@CSKian716) November 2, 2022
A close game that but the Indian bowlers were magnificent after the rain break backed by some brilliant fielding and a good win for team India. Congratulations @BCCI #IndvsBan pic.twitter.com/dQ2fqnH0AZ
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) November 2, 2022
What a turnaround. What a turnaround.#INDvBAN
— Prajakta (@18prajakta) November 2, 2022
Most Player of the Match Awards for India in men's T20 World Cup:
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) November 2, 2022
7 - Virat Kohli
3 - R Ashwin
3 - Yuvraj Singh
2 - Ravindra Jadeja
2 - Amit Mishra
2 - Rohit Sharma#INDvBAN
Bangladesh just can't get over the line against India in T20s - that's 11 defeats in 12 games.
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) November 2, 2022
Congratulations on the massive victory #Teamindia What an intense match it was. India got back in the game with a massive bang, huge credit to all players for coming back stronger. Commendable efforts by the Bangladesh team for putting up a tough fight. #INDvsBAN #T20WorldCup2022
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) November 2, 2022
What a great escape !!!!!!!!!!!#IndvsBan #BANvsIND #T20WorldCup #T20worldcup22
— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) November 2, 2022
Arshdeep, World Cup hero..
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) November 2, 2022
Let’s dance… team india ❤️ 🇮🇳
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) November 2, 2022
A game of inches… 🤭 pic.twitter.com/VjbMBSHIE5
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) November 2, 2022
The moment that changed the game. Litton Das was looking so good until KL Rahul's direct hit from the deep caught him out of his crease. pic.twitter.com/TVJ7QGgdTt
— Ashish Magotra (@clutchplay) November 2, 2022
A fielding appreciation tweet. That was proper fire stuff, and it needed to be. #T20WorldCup
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) November 2, 2022
For all their struggles in the field in the first three matches, India’s fielding after the rain delay was top notch. Four catches and that stunning run-out by KL Rahul. Could go a long way in taking them to the semifinals.#T20WorldCup #INDvBAN
— Aditya Chaturvedi (@aditya_c19) November 2, 2022
Das gave the team a blazing start, reaching his fifty in 21 balls, but once he fell to KL Rahul’s direct hit India came roaring back.
Arshdeep struck twice in one over including the prize of captain Shakib Al Hasan for 13 to turn the tables.
Hardik Pandya took two wickets in the 13th over as Bangladesh slumped from 98-2 to 108-6 and despite Hasan’s 14-ball 25, fell short of their DLS method target.
It was Kohli, who hit an unbeaten 64, and KL Rahul with a blazing 50 that set up India’s victory with a stand of 67.
In the process Kohli overtook former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene’s total of 1,016 runs to become the highest scorer in T20 World Cup history. Jayawardene set his mark from 31 innings but Kohli took only 23 to pass him.
Match-winning fifties
The in-form Kohli, who had already hit two match-winning half-centuries at this World Cup, reached his third fifty in 37 balls to bring alive the Indian-dominated crowd at the Adelaide Oval.
Taskin Ahmed kept India pinned down early with an impressive opening burst of seam and swing bowling after Bangladesh elected to field.
Rohit Sharma went cheaply for two but Rahul went on the couner-attack to regain his batting touch with a flurry of boundaries.
Rahul, who had scored just 22 runs in the previous three matches, smashed two sixes and a four in a 24-run ninth over as the Indian run-rate soared.
He reached 50 off Shakib but fell on the next ball from the left-arm spinner after hitting three fours and four sixes.
There was no respite for the Bangladesh bowlers as Suryakumar Yadav joined Kohli to keep up the attack, nonchalantly hitting the ball to all parts before Shakib struck again when he had made 30 off 16 balls.
Kohli anchored the innings and Ravichandran Ashwin enjoyed himself in a six-ball cameo for 13 that included a six and four in the final over.
Inputs from AFP
Also read:
Watch: KL Rahul’s game-changing run-out to end Litton Das’s brilliant innings at T20 World Cup
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli becomes highest run-scorer in tournament’s history