India needed six batters to dismantle the Netherlands bowlers in the final league match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Sunday. Batting first at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, India posted 410/4 in 50 overs with the top five hitting half-centuries -- a first in the history of the ODI Cricket World Cup. And the finest knock came from KL Rahul, reaching the century in just 62 balls. (Match Blog |Scorecard | Full Coverage)
After his belligerent innings (102 off 64) which featured 11 fours and four sixes, the 31-year-old from Mangaluru in Karnataka said that it was "nice to have some time in the middle and get some balls in the middle of the bat. Hopefully, I can carry this confidence ahead. Last ten you've got to go. Wickets in hand, Shreyas (Iyer) was set, and the plan was clear. Get as many runs as possible, enjoy yourself."
Only days ago, skipper Rohit Sharma smashed a 63-ball ton against Afghanistan to break Virender Sehwag's record -- in 81 against Bermuda in the 2007 edition. "Everyone has a clear game plan, we've been executing well. Try and win this game here and look forward to the semi-finals," Rahul added while sharing insights on his wicketkeeping. "I enjoy being involved in the game throughout."
KL Rahul was involved in a 208-run stand in 128 balls for the fourth wicket with another centurion, Shreyas Iyer who remained unbeaten on 128 off 94 balls with the help of 10 fours and five sixes.
Earlier in the day, India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat against the Netherlands. Unblemished after eight matches, India could make history if they beat the Netherlands in their final league stage game, as no team has previously won nine matches in a row in an ODI World Cup. Sri Lanka and Australia came close in 1996 and 2003, respectively, with their respective tournaments culminating in a trophy after eight games.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, could move into eighth place with a surprise triumph - something that they have achieved previously in the tournament over South Africa - and secure a spot in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the expense of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (w), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.
Netherlands: Wesley Barresi, Max O'Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekere.
