With unexpected results, tough batting conditions, mind-boggling upsets and the best of cricket played, the World Cup T20, 2024, has finally allocated four teams for its semi-finals: India vs England and South Africa vs Afghanistan. The journey of these teams towards the second last stage was not common neither did the anticipated teams reach there, teams like England and South Africa had to win perplex equations and tough games while Afghanistan had to turn the table on the most steadfast sporting team in the world; Australia, to get to the semis. India is the only team that played the cricket which was expected from them. They outplayed their opponents with bat, ball and mind. They never got in doubt about the possibilities of progress and wins.
The upcoming matches are set as such: India vs England and South Africa vs Afghanistan.
The India, England game is going to be the rematch of the last T20 World Cup semi-final where England whitewashed India with a thumping defeat. India embarrassingly conceded 168 runs with England losing no wicket and neither the control while chasing the total. This time however the teams are proportioned a bit differently; India has more self-belief and control than last time, they have a hand of god phenomenon, Bhumra, bowling for them with miraculous efficiency and pinpoint responsibility. Also, this is the first time since 2014 that India are excelling in tournaments without KI ( Kohli Intelligence). Kohli has yet to score a fifty in the tournament and has a batting average below par even for a bowler. However, the timely form of Pandiya and the all-round ability of Axar Patel will push India India’s chances in crunch situations.
England on the other hand would be happy to have found the ‘see the ball hit the ball mojo’ after almost a year. Their upper middle batting order has finally found a way out of the year-long slump which resulted in their shocking exit from the CWC 2023. Their bowlers are the best in the world. With the inclusion of Archer England has again found the feeling of beating any side in the world. Mark Wood and Adil Rashid along with Archer will make the top three of the five bowlers while the rest will be competed between Curran and Jordon with Moeen getting the benefit of spin and batting form.
We may see a great game or perhaps a one-sided game, who knows what happens when two best teams of white Ball cricket over the last 10 years come against each other to prove ‘who is what’?
South Africa will face Afghanistan which will be the first time in T20 World Cup history that either South Africa or Afghanistan will go on to reach a T20 World Cup final. They both have won wonderful matches. Afghanistan created history by beating Australia enough to be knocked out by India later. South Africa on the other hand has won trillers since the start of the tournament. Each of their games has gone down to the wire with South Africa claiming victories at crucial movements. Though South Africa may appear strong against Afghanistan but the Afghans have one thing in common from the history, they don’t enjoy being underestimated. For South Africa, their middle order’s resistance becomes more imminent against Afghanistan. They have withered many storms in this World Cup but they would need them to stand one final time against the cajoling spin encanto of Afghanistan. While for Afghanistan; they would love to see their openers go strongly for a long time. South Africa has more than a decent bowling attack spearheaded by Nortje and held together by Shamsie and Maharaj. Irrespective of the result , the fan would be content to see both the semi-finals as mouth-watering games; one as a rematch and the other as a most valuable window of opportunity.