New Zealand with a thumping win over Afghanistan ensured that Team India can no longer advance to the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The Blackcaps will be looking for their maiden T20 World Cup title as they have qualified for the semis and will be facing England unless Pakistan lose to Scotland.
For India, they will be hoping to end their campaign on a high against Namibia in the tournament as it will be the final game of Virat Kohli as captain in the T20Is as will be stepping down from the role.
It has been a middling tournament for the Indian team but the two back-to-back losses at the start of their campaign against Pakistan and New Zealand really hurt them and left them hoping for a miracle to qualify.
India were blown away by Shaheen Afridi in their first game as the left-arm pacer dismissed Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in consecutive overs in the powerplay and despite Kohli’s fifty, the score of 151 wasn’t enough. However, even if it was Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan just made it a cakewalk as they stitched an unbeaten partnership of 152 runs taking Pakistan to a 10-wicket victory.
Against New Zealand, captain Kohli mentioned that they weren’t brave enough as the batters seemed confused as to whether to attack from ball one or take a few balls as either they were too conservative or were finding fielders left, right and centre when they tried to hit.
New Zealand chased down 111 runs in just 14.3 overs and India had lost two games in two matches.
Even though they beat Afghanistan and Scotland comprehensively in their next two games, India depended on the former to beat New Zealand in their final group stage game but it wasn’t to be and the cricketers, fans reacted to their campaign and group stage exit. Here are some of them:
New Zealanders are nice to everyone except the Indian cricket team.
— Divakar KS (@divakar_ks) November 7, 2021
India’s campaign at the #ICCT20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/VhsdiQld8I
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) November 7, 2021
This World Cup campaign wasn’t about one bad half hour. There were many. Time to reboot T20 and look at it from a different perspective #India
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) November 7, 2021
The last time India Men’s cricket team failed to make it to the last four at an ICC event was in the #T20WC 2012 in SL.
Since then..
– #ChampionsTrophy – 2013 (W), 2017 (RU).
– #CWC – 2015 (SF), 2019 (SF)
– #T20WorldCup – 2014 (RU), 2016 (SF)
– #WorldTestChampionship – 2021 (RU)— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) November 7, 2021
Let’s be honest… #India deserved not to progress after those first two performances.
A shocking exit from their “home” #T20WorldCup should spur a new thinking in Indian T20I cricket, helped by the change in captaincy and coaching staff.
Fresh direction, fresh ideas needed.
— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula) November 7, 2021
Indians blaming Afghanistan for blowing their semifinal chances
Afghanistan: pic.twitter.com/L9jfP3zPuf
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) November 7, 2021
Sigh.. #NZvAFG #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/Nm6LqIjZxU
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) November 7, 2021
me – india is out from world cup and it’s also virat’s last match as a T20 captain tomorrow
my friends – pic.twitter.com/W9P8UFMyTT— addykins (@aadyaxgrover) November 7, 2021
BCCI appointed MS as mentor so that they don’t choke the K/Os
India gets knocked out before reaching the Semis
BCCI : pic.twitter.com/M8X41EQLlc — Thshr (@thshr_rgnld) November 7, 2021
