Magnificent Kohli powers India into semifinals

chandigarh: WHEN ALMIGHTY PERMITS THEN ONLY WE CAN DELIVER 

Virat Kohli lived up to the hype of being probably the greatest chaser in the history of the limited-overs game by scoring a fiery unbeaten 82 in 51 balls under immense pressure to guide India to the semifinals of the ICC World Twenty20 2016 with a six-wicket win over Australia.

Opting to bat first on a batsman-friendly strip at the at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Sunday (March 27), Australia rode on cameos from Usman Khawaja, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell, and a string of contributions from their lower order, to reach 160 for 6 on a surface which began to slow down during the course of their innings.

India got off to a shaky start, reaching 49 for 3 from 7.4 overs. Yuvraj Singh hung around and made a crucial 21, but it was Kohli’s unbeaten knock, with nine fours and two sixes, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s 10-ball 18, that carried India to a win which seemed improbable at one stage.

India now face West Indies in the semifinal in Mumbai on March 31.