New Delhi: Kane Williamson-led New Zealand crushed India's hopes of making it to the semi-finals in the T20 World Cup 2021 on Sunday after defeating Afghanistan by eight wickets in the Group 2 match at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan and New Zealand have qualified for the semi-finals from Group 2. The four teams that have reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup are England, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan.
Post team India's exit from the marquee event, Virat Kohli's old tweet from March 2012 has gone viral. "Going home tomorrow. Not a good feeling," Virat Kohli had tweeted after India's exit from the Asia Cup.
Talking about India's campaign in the World Cup, Virat Kohli & Co lost its first two matches in the T20 World Cup against Pakistan and New Zealand. The Men in Blue made a remarkable comeback with resounding wins over Afghanistan and Scotland.
India's chances to reach the semifinals were pinned on the outcome of Afghanistan vs New Zealand match. A win for Afghanistan would have kept Virat Kohli & Co. alive in the tournament but post Afghanistan's defeat against BlackCaps, India vs Namibia fixture is now a dead rubber.
Coming back to the game, batting first, Afghanistan scored 124/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Najibullah Zadran scored the maximum 73 runs for his team. Trent Boult was the pick of Kiwi bowlers as he bagged the most three wickets for New Zealand. The target of 125 runs was achieved by New Zealand after losing 2 wickets in 18.1 overs.