India couldn’t have asked for a better start to their campaign in T20 World Cup 2022. Virat Kohli produced a knock for the ages to take India over the line. He has played several such knocks in the previous few editions of the T20 World Cup as well.
These stellar knocks have been elaborately documented but there have been a few knocks that didn’t get their due. It was owing to these underrated knocks that the starring acts were made possible.
We look at a few such underrated Indian knocks in T20 World Cups:
#4 Mahendra Singh Dhoni vs Australia, 2007
India lost Yuvraj Singh’s wicket in the 17th over. The team needed a big finish to post an above-par score. Mahendra Singh Dhoni provided India with just that. He was having a bad back yet he delivered when it mattered the most. Dhoni took on Nathan Bracken, Andrew Symonds, and the like to help India post a sizeable total. India’s eventual winning margin of 15 runs was a direct result of Dhoni’s cameo at the end.
#3 Virender Sehwag vs New Zealand, 2007
New Zealand posted a huge total of 190 batting first in a day game. The total was always going to be beyond India’s reach. A young Indian side was expected to catapult even before the chase began. But Virender Sehwag had other ideas. He started off the innings on a blistering note.
Sehwag carted the kiwi bowlers to all parts of the ground. It appeared as if India are in with a real chance to pull this game off. But Sehwag’s wicket jeopardized India’s win. The knock remains underrated as it came in the only losing game of India’s maiden T20 World Cup triumph.
#2 Rohit Sharma vs Pakistan, 2007
None of the Indian batters except Gautam Gambhir got going in the World Cup final in 2007. India was struggling to post even a par score in the big final. Enter Rohit Sharma, just 19 years, who ended up playing a fine cameo.
He smashed a 16-ball 30 to take India post 150. India eventually finished with 157-5. They won the World Cup with just a six being the differential factor. It boiled down to Sharma’s crucial six in the final over of India’s winnings.
#1 Robin Uthappa vs Australia, 2007
A young Indian side was up against the world-beating Australian side in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup in 2007. India found it hard to break the shackles till the eighth over. They were reeling at 41-2 at that stage.
It was at this moment that two youngsters turned it around in stunning fashion. Yuvraj Singh was the principal architect behind India’s charge. But it was Robin Uthappa who played an equally important role. His timely knock helped India set up a winning score on board.
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