South Africa put on a dominant display in the T20 World Cup semifinal crushing Afghanistan by nine wickets to secure their first-ever spot in a World Cup final.

The Proteas bowlers set the tone early ripping through Afghanistan’s top order. Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada exploited the tricky Tarouba pitch taking five wickets in the first five overs. Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi then cleaned up the rest as Afghanistan crumbled to just 56 all out.

Despite losing Quinton de Kock early in the chase Aiden Markram and Reeza Hendricks calmly guided South Africa home with 67 balls to spare. Hendricks finished unbeaten on 29.

This clinical performance dispelled any notions of South Africa’s knockout stage jitters. They controlled the match from start to finish extending their unbeaten run in the tournament to eight games.

For Afghanistan the dream run came to a harsh end. Their batsmen struggled against South Africa’s tall pacers who extracted both bounce and movement from the pitch. Only Azmatullah Omarzai reached double figures scoring 10.

South Africa’s bowlers shared the spoils with Shamsi taking 3-6 and Jansen 3-16. The comprehensive victory not only books South Africa’s place in the final but also sends a strong message to their potential opponents.

As they celebrate this historic achievement South Africa will now eagerly await the winner of the second semifinal to see who they’ll face in their first World Cup final.

Complaints of subpar practice facilities and dissatisfaction with the New York pitch have now been joined by the India Cricket Team’s displeasure with their hotel gym. This dissatisfaction has led the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to swiftly take action and purchase new gym memberships during the ongoing T20 World Cup.

Despite being one of the wealthiest cricket boards globally, BCCI and the Indian team have often faced criticism for the lack of adequate facilities, even in major cricketing nations like the United States. The current issue revolves around the team’s hotel gym in Long Island, where Rohit Sharma & Co. are staying during the T20 World Cup.

Following complaints from the players about the inadequate gym facilities at the hotel, BCCI promptly acquired memberships for a popular gym chain in New York City, where the players can access better amenities and equipment.

According to reports from News18, the players were dissatisfied with the hotel gym and expressed their preference for a nearby gym. A source cited by News18 CricketNext stated, “The team doesn’t use the hotel gym and they have a membership of a gym nearby and everyone uses that. It is a very popular gym chain.”

Virat Kohli at the LA fitness for the gym session. 🐐pic.twitter.com/Vp3YSY5HmD

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) June 11, 2024

The India Cricket Team’s stay in Long Island will conclude after their match against the USA on Wednesday, following which they will travel to Florida for their next fixtures.

However, dissatisfaction hasn’t been limited to just the gym. Team management, including Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma, also raised concerns about the practice facilities provided. Although the ICC arranged the Cantiague Park with six drop-in pitches for practice, it turned out to be more of a family park than a professional cricket practice venue. Despite these concerns, neither the team management nor the BCCI lodged an official complaint with the ICC regarding the practice facility issue.

As India braces for a crucial stage in the T20 World Cup, the sight of Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar together in New York has given fans a much-needed morale boost.

In a delightful moment, two of India’s greatest cricketers were spotted attending a spiritual gathering or ‘satsang’ in the city. Kohli was possibly accompanied by his wife Anushka Sharma for the event.

The reunion sent the internet into a frenzy as fans captured this rare instance of the legends posing together. The image, shared by renowned sports journalist Vikram Sathaye, quickly went viral.

Sachin Tendulkar & Virat Kohli in a single frame. 🇮🇳

– ICONS OF WORLD CRICKET…!!!! pic.twitter.com/pd8Fm8NQWb

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 11, 2024

This marks the first public appearance of Kohli and Tendulkar together since the 2023 World Cup semi-final. Their sighting brought back memories of Kohli breaking Tendulkar’s record for most ODI centuries during that match.

While it’s unclear if they discussed cricket, fans speculated about potential advice from Tendulkar to Kohli. The latter has struggled as an opener in the T20 World Cup despite his recent IPL success.

Kohli’s low scores against Ireland and Pakistan have raised concerns. However, India’s management seems likely to persist with him at the top, banking on his experience and past achievements.

In the T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan faces a crucial match against Canada. Needing just 48 runs off 60 balls with 9 wickets in hand, and with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan at the crease, Pakistan appears to be in a strong position. However, given their recent history, fans and critics alike are wondering if they will manage to seize the game or if they will choke once again.

A String of Disappointments:

Luck has not favored Pakistan in this tournament. Their campaign began on a dismal note against the USA. Despite needing only 15 runs off the last over, Pakistan managed to push the game into a Super Over, where they performed poorly, handing the USA a record win.

In their second match, Pakistan faced India with a modest target of 120 runs. The required run rate was less than 6 runs per over, and Pakistan seemed set for an easy victory. However, in an astonishing collapse, they lost by 6 runs. With a winning probability that looked 92% in favor of Pakistan and only 8% for India, the result was a significant letdown for fans.

The Current Scenario:

Now, against Canada, Pakistan is once again in a promising position. With 10 overs left and needing only 48 runs, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan need to maintain their composure and guide their team to victory. The memories of their previous collapses are fresh, and the pressure is palpable.

Will They Choke Again?

Pakistan’s tendency to choke under pressure has been a recurring theme in this World Cup. The team’s management and players are undoubtedly aware of the stakes. This match is not just about securing a win against Canada but also about restoring confidence and proving their mettle on the global stage.

The next few overs will be critical. If Babar and Rizwan can stay calm and execute their game plan, Pakistan should comfortably win this match. However, any lapse in concentration or panic could once again lead to an unexpected defeat, leaving their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has overtaken Virat Kohli to become the all-time leading run scorer in T20 Internationals. Babar now has 4,067 runs from 113 innings, surpassing Kohli’s 4,038 runs from 110 innings.

India’s skipper Rohit Sharma is third on the list with 4,026 runs from 144 innings. All three players will be in action on Sunday as India takes on Pakistan at the Nassau County Stadium in New York.

Following them in the top-five tally are Ireland captain Paul Stirling and former New Zealand opener Martin Guptill.

In Pakistan’s opening Group A encounter against the USA in Dallas, Babar Azam led the scoring with 44 runs off 43 balls, including two sixes and three fours. Despite his efforts, Pakistan was restricted to 159/7 in their 20 overs after the USA won the toss and elected to field.

Shadab Khan also contributed with a quick 40 off 25 balls, hitting three sixes and a boundary. Shaheen Shah Afridi added a crucial 25-run cameo towards the end to help Pakistan cross the 150-run mark.

Most runs in men’s T20I history:*
1. Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 4,067
2. Virat Kohli (India) – 4,038
3. Rohit Sharma (India) – 4,026
4. Paul Stirling (Ireland) – 3,591
5. Martin Guptill (New Zealand) – 3,531

As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on these top players, especially with the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash just around the corner.

*The scores can be updated as T20 World Cup is live and going on