T20 World Cup 2024: Top 10 Memes from USA vs IND, Match 25

What initially seemed like a dead-rubber match before the tournament commenced, turned into a riveting encounter as both teams battled fiercely for glory.

India chose to field after winning the toss, a decision that proved astute as Arshdeep Singh made an immediate impact. He struck twice in the first over, including a golden duck for Karachi-born Shayan Jahangir, who was trapped plumb in front on the first delivery. Post this early setback, the co-hosts opted for a conservative approach during the powerplay, ending the first six overs for a score of 18 on the board.

USA's skipper, Aaron Jones, was dismissed for 11 off 22 deliveries, managing a solitary six. Left-handed Steven Taylor inside-edged a delivery from Axar Patel and was bowled for 24, becoming yet another batter with only sixes and no fours to his name. Nitish Kumar top-scored with 27 off 23 deliveries, while the subsequent three batters contributed scores of 15, 10, and 11, respectively, guiding the USA to a total of 110/8.

For India, apart from Shivam Dube's single over which conceded 11 runs, all other bowlers maintained an economy rate of under 8.50. Axar was the exception, giving away 25 runs in his three overs. Arshdeep emerged as the standout performer, finishing with remarkable figures of 4/9 in his four overs. Both Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless, each recording identical figures of 0/25 in their allotted four overs.

As India began their chase, it was clear that the USA would fiercely contest with their bowling. Indian icon Virat Kohli was dismissed for a golden duck on the second ball of the innings, followed shortly by Rohit Sharma, who became Saurabh Netravalkar's second victim. This remarkable feat made Netravalkar only the fifth bowler to dismiss both the star batters in a single T20 World Cup match. With India reeling from the early setbacks, the task appeared daunting. However, a composed and resilient unbeaten half-century from Suryakumar Yadav, his 17th in T20Is, coupled with Shivam Dube's steady 31*(35), proved just sufficient for India to secure their third consecutive victory in the campaign.

Also Read: Arshdeep Singh becomes first Indian bowler to pick wicket on first ball in T20 World Cups

All of the USA's bowlers delivered notable performances, with each bowler, from Netravalkar to Corey Anderson, maintaining an economy rate below 6.50. Despite their valiant efforts, the USA couldn't quite pull off another upset. A crucial dropped catch by Netravalkar off Suryakumar Yadav in the 13th over, coupled with the five penalty runs awarded to India before the start of the 16th over for exceeding the one-minute deadline between overs for the third time, ultimately proved to be their undoing. Additionally, the decision not to utilize Harmeet Singh due to Dube's prolonged stay at the crease was a noteworthy choice that will likely be debated for some time.

Below are some memes from the USA-India game: