In their T20 World Cup warm-up match, the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, showcased their aggressive intent, aiming to score boundaries with every delivery against South Africa on Wednesday. They finished with an impressive total of 240 runs for 5 wickets in their 20 overs at the DY Patil Stadium.
The Indian batters unleashed a barrage of 19 sixes and 15 fours, while the South African bowlers could only manage 33 dot balls throughout the innings. Opting to bat first, the opening duo of Abhishek Sharma (24 runs off 18 balls) and Ishan Kishan (53 runs off 20 balls) set the tone for an explosive innings. Kishan, in particular, was in sublime form, striking the ball with precision and power as he raced to his half-century.
Kishan dominated the early exchanges, dispatching South African pacer Lungi Ngidi for two sixes in the very first over and continuing to punish Kagiso Rabada with another maximum over the square leg. At one stage, Kishan was on 25 runs in just 12 balls, leaving Abhishek in his wake at just two runs.
India reached a staggering 73 runs without losing a wicket in just five overs, thanks in large part to Kishan’s explosive batting, which included three sixes off Anrich Nortje. Following Kishan’s retirement, Tilak Varma stepped in and scored 45 runs off 19 balls, adding three fours and three sixes to the team’s tally.
Skipper Suryakumar joined the run fest with a quick-fire 30 runs from 16 balls, hitting a six off his very first delivery. However, his innings came to an abrupt end when he attempted another six off Maphaka and was caught by George Linde in the deep. Hardik Pandya also contributed to the total, scoring 30 runs off just 10 balls, with two fours and three sixes to round off a dominant batting performance by the hosts.