Never had Virat Kohli scored a Duck in a T20 World Cup match before and never had the former Indian skipper faced the USA left arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar. On Wednesday, both things happened simultaneously during India's seven-wicket victory against USA in the Group A match at the T20 World Cup 2024. (Scorecard | As It Happened)
Netravalkar, the hero of USA's greatest cricket victory that came earlier in the tournament against Pakistan, was bowling the first over for USA as the co-hosts aimed to defend a small target of 111.
Rohit Sharma took a single on the first ball which was moving away but gave the Indian skipper enough room to guide it to third man. On the second ball, Netravalkar brought his line just outside the off stump and bowled it a little fuller. Kohli, playing his first ball, went for a check drive and edged the ball straight into the mitts of the wicketkeeper Andries Gous.
For the first time in 28 T20 World Cup innings Kohli got out for a Duck. This is only the second time in his 120-match T20I career that the star Indian batter has gone out on the first ball.
Kohli's early dismissal has also raised concerns about his form. In this tournament, Kohli has scored 1, 4 and 0 in three times that he has batted so far. This is the first time that he has gone three innings without scoring a half-century in T20 World Cup.
Even though Netravalkar had just got the biggest wicket of his career, he was not satisfied just yet. On the second ball of his second over, the left-arm pacer forced Rohit to lob the ball straight to Harmeet Singh at mid-off.
In just a span of eight balls, Netravalkar, who was India's highest wicket-taker at the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, dismissed two of his former team's best batters and helped his side make early inroads in the all important game.
However, USA could not win the game as India eventually chased down 111 in the penultimate over winning the match by seven wickets.
