T20 World Cup 2021: Heartbreak for millions, India exits

* India has failed to reach the semis of a T20 World Cup for the fourth time.

* Training called off : Around 6:30 pm, New Zealand hit the winning runs against Afghanistan much to the disappointment of the Indian fans. The mood in the Indian camp was evident when BCCI’s official media WhatsApp group had a message for journalists. “The optional training session in the evening has been cancelled”.

India were sent packing from the T20 World Cup after a clinical New Zealand clinched a facile eight-wicket triumph over Afghanistan in their final Super 12 game to claim the last available semifinal spot here on Sunday. India’s slim hopes hinged on Afghanistan upstaging the Black Caps as that would have brought the Net Run Rate into equation and opened the doors for Virat Kohli’s men, who only have themselves to blame for the ouster now.

The Kiwis were favourites to win on the day and they hardly put a foot wrong, chasing down a small target of 125 in just 18.1 overs to join England, Australia and Pakistan in the last-four stage. Sunday’s result renders India’s final league engagement against Namibia inconsequential.

The team was outplayed in its first two Super 12 matches by Pakistan and New Zealand, which proved to be its undoing. The side did bounce back after wins over Afghanistan and Scotland but the damage done by the previous two defeats was far too much. Kane Williamson’s men, who won four of their five Super 12 matches, will be up against either England or Australia in the semifinals. Afghanistan, who needed to win to keep their semifinal hopes alive, reached the total mainly due to the efforts of Najibullah Zadran (73 off 48 balls).

Zadran stood out in a rather tepid display by the rest of his team-mates. Outgoing India head coach Ravi Shastri and skipper Virat Kohli, who will lead the country for one last time in the shortest format, would aim to finish India’s underwhelming T20 World Cup campaign on a positive note with a victory over Namibia in the team’s final Super 12 match on Monday. (PTI)