June 12 was a good day to be an Indian fan. Rohit Sharma and co. made it to the Super 8, following a convincing victory over the USA, courtesy of Suryakumar Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, and Shivam Dube. But not all was great. Rohit himself and Virat Kohli failed with the bat once again. Ahead of the next stage, the middle order is back in form again, and that’s something to be happy about. Talking about happiness, RCB owners are enjoying themselves and are seeing the franchise’s net worth jump by nearly 20%.
India seals Super 8 spot
Team India has become the third team to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup. After winning their third consecutive match in Group A, Rohit Sharma and co. have secured the A1 spot. After a clinical bowling display, the top order failed, but the out-of-form middle order stood up, taking them to a comfortable victory over the USA.
Rohit & Kohli continue to fail
A bad day at the office for India’s senior pros, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The two openers scored 0 and 3, as former Mumbai player Saurab Netravalkar bamboozled them. Kohli has failed in all three matches (1, 4 and 0) played at the Nassau Cricket Stadium, while Rohit scored 52* in the first match against Ireland but has since scored 16 runs.
Surya-Dube shine bright
SKY (Suryakumar Yadav) shined brightly today. He scored his slowest T20I fifty and took blows on his, but didn’t back down and took India across the line. He showed that he has multiple styles of play and isn’t a one-trick pony. Shivam Dube, who was struggling in all three facets, got back into form as well. The southpaw, who couldn’t hit the ball off the square, dropped catches, and went for runs in the lone over, scored a match-winning 31*.
Trophy ≠ Money
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have no trophies in the IPL but continue to be on top of the brand evaluation charts. RCB, which has Virat Kohli as its face, is worth $227M (Rs 1896 crore), while the Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders are worth $204M (Rs 1703 crore) and $216M (Rs 1804 crore), respectively.
Singh in King
Arshdeep Singh created history today. The left-arm pacer, who claimed a 4-wicket haul, ended up with the best figures by any Indian bowler in the T20 World Cup, breaking Ravichandran Ashwin’s decade-old record. The southpaw was destructive in all phases of the game but was especially dangerous in the powerplay, making the ball hoop around corners.
Shubman means business
Shubam Gill isn’t just warming the bench in New York. The opener, who has flown with Team India as a reserve for the T20 World Cup, is making full use of his time instead of pondering over his non-selection. The Gujarat Titans skipper decided to invest some money in a venture capital firm.
