ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: India has finished the group stages of the Cricket World Cup 2023 with an unbeaten streak in 9 games, with an all-round performance, ticking all the boxes by their performance with the bat, ball and in the field. The team will face off against New Zealand in the semi-final at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15.
The primary factor behind India’s performance during its journey to the semis was its batting unit, where every player took responsibility and played their role. While every batsman went in the middle to play balanced but aggressively, Virat Kohli anchored the innings, balancing the strikes, making partnerships and holding an end securely. His consistency has resulted in him being at the top of the list of the leading run-scorers (594 runs), at an average of 99 and a strike rate of 88.52.
Rohit Sharma captaincy
Captain and opener Rohit Sharma has laid the foundation for a big total with his explosive batting, and scoring 503 runs in nine matches, at a strike rate of 121.49. His partner and a World Cup debutant Shubman Gill, the ranked 1 ODI batsman, has scored 290 runs in the group stages.
Coming at number four, Shreyas Iyer, who struggled for a few games initially has strongly made a comeback in the game against Lanka and has consecutively scored in three games scoring 82, 77, and an unbeaten 128 in the last group stage game.
The lower-middle order comprising Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja is yet to be tested in a high-pressure situation but has by far made its contribution with the bat including a crucial 49 by Suryakumar Yadav against England and 22 against South Africa, while Jadeja slamming 35-runs and 29 runs cameo against Sri Lanka and South Africa respectively.
With the great unbeaten performance in the group stages, outplaying every opponent, India is on the way to repeating its heroics from the 1983 and the 2011 editions of the World Cup. The fans hope that the host will continue its dominance and add the third title to its trophy cabinet.