Kohli's Flop Show Continues as India Faces Semi-Final Setback

India's T20 World Cup semi-final against England proved to be another disappointing outing for star batter Virat Kohli, who once again failed to deliver a substantial performance. Batting first, India made a promising start with skipper Rohit Sharma and Kohli showing some intent. However, England pacer Reece Topley quickly struck, dismissing Kohli for nine in the third over of the innings. This marked Kohli's fifth single-digit score at the ongoing T20 World Cup, setting a new career low for the right-handed batter.

Kohli's dismissal was particularly significant as it was the first time he had failed to score a half-century in a T20 World Cup knockout match. In previous knockout matches, Kohli had scored 72* off 44 balls against South Africa in the 2014 semi-finals, 77* off 58 balls against Sri Lanka in the 2014 final, 89* against West Indies in the 2016 semi-finals, and 50 against England in the 2022 semi-finals.

The match was eventually interrupted by rain, with India reaching 65 for two in eight overs. Skipper Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav were batting on 37 and 13 respectively when the heavens opened up. Sent into bat after the start of the match was delayed by more than an hour, India lost Kohli early and Rishabh Pant cheaply, but Rohit remained positive and kept England on their toes with regular boundaries.

Kohli's dismissal came as a blow to India's hopes of posting a competitive total. The right-handed batter has been struggling for form throughout the tournament, and his latest failure will raise further questions about his place in the team. With India's hopes of reaching the final now hanging in the balance, the team will need to find a way to overcome Kohli's poor form and produce a strong performance in the second half of the innings.

Tags: #T20WorldCup, #ViratKohli, #England, #India, #Cricket