A Diwali run-fest in Bengaluru on Sunday (November 12, 2023) witnessed the top five batters of a team hitting individual fifties in an ICC ODI Cricket World Cup match. And they are Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul -- the Indian quintet who decimated the Netherlands bowlers in the final league match of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. (Match Blog |Scorecard | Full Coverage)
Opting to bat first, India raced to 91 runs in the first powerplay with openers Gill and Rohit feasting on the Dutch attack. By the end of the 15th over, India were 119/1. Gill reached his half-century off 32 balls. The young batter, who holed out at deep backward square leg boundary going for his fifth six, was involved in a 100-run opening stand with skipper Rohit. This was the third time in the tournament that India crossed the 90-run mark in the first powerplay.
Rohit departed after making 61 off 54 with two sixes. In the process, he created a dual record -- becoming the player with the most sixes in a calendar year (60 sixes so far in 2023) and the most maximums (24) by a captain in a single edition of a World Cup. He also broke Sourav Ganguly's two-decade-old record (465 in 2003) for most runs by an Indian captain -- 503.
Later in the innings, Virat Kohli (51 off 56), Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul also brought up fifties. In fact, Rahul (102 off 94) hit India's fastest century in the World Cup, in 62 balls, while Iyer remained unbeaten on 128 off 94 balls.
Unblemished after eight matches, India could make history if they beat the Netherlands today, 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. India, having posted a massive total of 410/4 in 50 overs, are 10 wickets away from achieving this massive feat.
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.
Both India and the Netherlands named unchanged teams.
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 ODowd, 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.
