BENGALURU: In the highly anticipated World Cup clash, India’s captain Rohit Sharma, after winning the toss, opted to bat first against the Netherlands. India, having triumphed in all eight of their previous matches, maintains an unchanged lineup for this final league-stage encounter in Bengaluru. Having secured a spot in the semi-finals as table-toppers, India is gearing up to face New Zealand at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.
Rohit Sharma expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, emphasizing the significance of this match as an opportunity to address all aspects of their game. Virat Kohli, a key batsman for India in the tournament with an impressive 543 runs, is on the verge of achieving his 50th ODI century, having equaled Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 centuries in the previous victory against South Africa.
On the other side, the Netherlands, despite creating an early upset by defeating South Africa, finds themselves at the bottom of the table with just two victories. Captain Scott Edwards announced an unchanged lineup from their previous loss to England. Edwards, anticipating a vibrant atmosphere, noted that this match would witness the largest crowd in the tournament for his team.
Looking ahead, the second semi-final will feature five-time winners Australia facing South Africa in Kolkata on Thursday. Cricket enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the outcome of these crucial encounters as the World Cup drama unfolds.
India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wkt), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
Netherlands: Max O’Dowd, Wesley Barresi, Colin Ackermann, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (capt/wkt), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren.
