T20 World Cup: India post 151/7 against Pakistan
India posted 151/7 in 20 overs against arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening game of the 2021 T20 World Cup. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul succumbed to Shaheen Afridi after Pakistan elected to bowl. However, skipper Virat Kohli led from the front with an astonishing knock. Although Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja accompanied Kohli in the middle overs, India went off the rails eventually.
India lost three wickets in the powerplay
The Pakistani seamers dented India's plight in the first six overs. Shaheen Afridi made early inroads by dismissing both Rohit and Rahul. The former departed for a golden duck, while the latter survived eight balls. India also lost Suryakumar Yadav in the sixth over. Meanwhile, Kohli managed to keep India afloat as they mustered 36/3 in the powerplay.
Second Indian to record a duck against Pakistan (T20 WC)
Rohit became the second Indian batter to record a duck against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup. He was trapped in front by Afridi. Gautam Gambhir was the first Indian to do so (Durban, 2007 and Colombo, 2012).
Shaheen Afridi was the standout bowler for Pakistan
Shaheen Afridi was the pick of Pakistan's bowlers. He was destructive in the first six overs. The tall speedster scalped three wickets, including the one of Virat Kohli. Hasan Ali took two wickets, with Shadab Khan providing a solitary breakthrough. Haris Rauf impressed with his express pace, having taken a wicket. Mohammad Hafeez also chipped in with two overs.
King Kohli bounces back!
After undergoing a lean patch, King Kohli finally bounced back in style. He played a captain's knock, bringing India back in the hunt. Kohli smashed his 29th half-century in T20 Internationals. He shared a 53-run stand with Pant and later took India past 100 along with Jadeja. The Indian skipper finished with 57 off 49 balls (5 fours and 1 six).
