India made an excellent start to their Super Eights campaign against Afghanistan for the match 43 of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at Kensington Oval, Barbados on June 20. The match witnessed the Men in Blue’s all-round brilliance and was highlighted by Ravindra Jadeja’s exceptional fielding performance, earning him the best fielder medal.
Post-match, the spotlight shifted to the Indian dressing room for the customary best fielder medal ceremony. From the norm of having special guests presenting the award, head coach Rahul Dravid himself honoured Jadeja with the medal. Jadeja’s outstanding performance included three crucial catches, outshining his teammates.
Upon receiving the medal, Jadeja lifted Dravid and shared a light-hearted moment with Mohammed Siraj, jokingly referring to him as his inspiration and the best fielder ever.
“This medal is very important, I am very happy to get this medal today, and especially I am very inspired by Mohammed Siraj, who is the best fielder, thank you, Siraj, Cheers,” Jadeja said in a video posted by BCCI.
Watch the best fielder video here:
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India defeated Afghanistan by 47 runs
Rohit Sharma called it correctly at the toss and chose to bat first on a pitch that seemed conducive for both batters and spinners. Both sides made changes to their line-ups, with India bringing in Kuldeep Yadav for Mohammed Siraj, while Afghanistan replaced Karim Janat with Hazratullah Zazai.
Sharma & Co’s innings got off to a shaky start with the early dismissal of the skipper. However, Suryakumar Yadav’s explosive 53 off 28 balls, supported by Hardik Pandya’s 32 off 24, guided India to a competitive total of 181/8. Afghanistan’s bowling attack, led by skipper Rashid Khan (3/26) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (3/33), posed significant challenges throughout the innings.
Also read: When Rashid Khan bowls, it’s very difficult to pick him: Suryakumar Yadav
In response, the Rashid Khan-led side’s chase never gained momentum, despite early aggression. Jasprit Bumrah’s exceptional bowling (3/7 in 4 overs) dismantled the Afghan batting attack. The Indian bowlers maintained pressure throughout, with Arshdeep Singh (3/36), Kuldeep Yadav (2/32), and Jadeja (1/20) contributing to bowl out the Afghan side for 134 in 20 overs.
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