New Delhi: India continued their dominant run in the World Cup 2023, as they crushed the Netherlands by a massive margin of 160 runs in their final group match on Sunday. The hosts, who had already secured the top spot in the group, piled up a mammoth total of 410 for 4, thanks to brilliant centuries from Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. The duo added 208 runs for the fourth wicket, after Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill had set the platform with fifties each. Iyer remained unbeaten on 128 off 87 balls, while Rahul scored 102 off 104. The Indian batsmen smashed 122 runs in the last 10 overs, making it the third-highest total in the tournament.
The Netherlands, who had no chance of qualifying for the semi-finals, were never in the chase as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Their top order failed to capitalize on the starts, as Max O’Dowd, Colin Ackerman, and Sybrand Engelbrecht fell for 30, 35, and 45 respectively. Teja Nidamanuru was the only batsman to cross the fifty mark, scoring 54 off 46 balls. The visitors were bowled out for 250 in 47.5 overs, handing India their ninth consecutive win in the tournament. Mohammad Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav shared eight wickets, while Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also chipped in with a wicket each. This was Kohli’s first wicket of the World Cup.
India will now face New Zealand in the first semi-final on 15 November at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Kiwis finished second in their group, behind Australia. India has been unbeatable so far in the tournament and will look to maintain their winning momentum in the knockouts.
