In a nail-biting fight, India beat the Kiwis by 70 runs. At a jam-packed Wankhede Stadium, the Indian bowlers were fully stretched to overcome the challenge of New Zealand. It was Mohammed Shami’s day as he took 7 wickets, thus becoming the bowler with a record of 23 wickets in the 2023 Cricket World Cup matches. Mitchell fought for the Kiwis with 134 in 119 balls. Mohammed Shami was named the ICC Player of the Match, a hard-earned trophy for his selfless pursuit of this funny game.
Earlier, India made 397/4 in 50 overs, qualifying for the finals for the 4th time. Many records were set up in this match. King Kohli made his 50th century, beating Bharat Ratna Tendulkar’s record of 49 centuries in ODI. He also set a record of maximum runs, i.e., 711 in this edition of the Cricket World Cup (CWC). It was magic in Mumbai. It was also a homecoming for Shreyas Iyer as he made a century. A surprise guest was Beckham of ‘Bend it like Beckham’ fame, who is a UNICEF ambassador. Also seen in the spectators was Rajinikanth, whose latest film ‘Jailor’ is a box office hit. Of course, Jay Shah, the Secretary of BCCI, was present at this historic occasion.
Now, the winner out of the RSA & Australia fixture will face India at Ahmedabad on Sunday, 19th November. Shreyas Iyer’s 105 was the fastest in a knockout match. Thus, Shami with 7 wickets and King Kohli with his 50th century were the highlights of today’s match. According to Muthiah Muralitharan, India is certainly going to win this World Cup. We will have to wait and see whether this prediction comes true by next Sunday. Sir Vivian Richards was another celebrity to adorn the commentator’s box today.
