Team India’s star batter Virat Kohli continued to endure poor run-scoring form at the ongoing T20 World Cup, as he was dismissed on a golden duck in the match against the USA on Wednesday. Saurabh Netravalkar, the former Indian cricketer who now plays for the United States, removed Kohli as he beat his outside edge for an easy caught-behind dismissal.
This is the first time Kohli was dismissed without opening his account in T20 World Cups, and the first time he registered a golden duck in the format (international matches).
Netravalkar, the left-arm pacer, gave Kohli enough width for the batter to stretch his arms and go for a drive through covers. However, he couldn’t middle the delivery as the ball picked a thick outside edge, carrying towards wicketkeeper Andries Gous for a simple catch. Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain who was standing at the other end, looked visibly disappointed after the dismissal.
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A couple of overs later, Rohit Sharma, too, fell prey to the same bowler, as a thick outside edge shot off high in the air before being caught inside the circle by Harmeet Singh. The Indian skipper was dismissed for 3.
Arshdeep shines
Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh delivered a career-best performance with figures of 4-9, including two wickets in the first over, as India held the USA to 110-8 in their T20 World Cup clash. Arshdeep also went past Ravichandran Ashwin to register the best figures by an Indian in the tournament’s history; Ashwin held the previous record with 4/11 figures against Australia in the 2014 edition.
Despite the modest total, India remain cautious about chasing on the notoriously tricky and slow pitch at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, where they recently scored just 119 in a narrow six-run victory over Pakistan.
A win in this match would secure India’s place in the second round Super Eights. Arshdeep’s early breakthroughs saw him dismiss recalled opener Shayan Jahangir lbw on the first ball and have Andries Gous caught in the deep five balls later, leaving the hosts at a precarious 3-2 after the opening over.