The United States of America was on the verge of pulling off a second consecutive upset in New York on Wednesday, thanks to a determined batting effort that set India a challenging target of 111.
Despite this, the Men in Blue remained firm favorites until an astonishing turn of events at the start of their run chase shifted the momentum dramatically in favor of the hosts, sending shockwaves through the cricketing world.
Virat Kohli resumed his role as opener alongside Rohit Sharma, taking strike on the second ball after Rohit rotated the strike on the first. Facing him was Saurabh Netravalkar, a former Mumbai cricketer who had recently gained fame for his Super Over heroics against Pakistan. Netravalkar began—and ended—the intriguing contest with an exceptional delivery.
He pitched a good-length ball on the fourth stump that angled away just enough to catch the outside edge, sending it into the wicket-keeper’s gloves. Kohli had no choice but to walk back to the pavilion, while Rohit, at the other end, whistled in admiration at the quality of the delivery.
— Bill Jax (@jax_bill74377) June 12, 2024
This marked Kohli’s first-ever duck in a T20 World Cup, abruptly lowering his impressive average of over 150 in tournament run chases. The incident left Twitter users scrambling for words.
