Nicholas Pooran misses 100 with two runs, leads Windies to win last group stage match

West Indies: The 98-runs inning of Nicholas Pooran has led the West Indies team to win the last group stage match of the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup on Monday. Setting the target of 219, the Windies dominated Daren Sammy Cricket Ground by breaking several records and secured historic victory against Afghanistan.

The match was started with the toss won by Afghanistan team and they chose to bowl first, however, the decision has not turned out to be in favour for the team. Showing great momentum, the team played the highest scorer power play ever of 92 runs in the history of the T20 World Cup with the loss of one wicket.

The second-over wicket of Brandon King who played the inning of 7 runs tried to resist the players of West Indies for some time, but the partnership of Nicholas Pooran and Johnson Charles have provided efficient growth to the form of the team to the end.

Afghanistan bowlers tried to stop Windies, but the first boundaries from the bat of Charles have encouraged Pooran to play till the end of the game. Notably, it was also for the fifth time that any over has gone for 36 runs with Azmatullah Omarzai’s bowling with 6 runs, 5NB, 5WD, 0, 4LB, 4, 6, 6.

Further, right-hander batsman Johnson Charles dismissed to end the eighth over with catch out and he played the inning of 43 runs in 27 balls. The partnership of Charles and Pooran have played the inning of 80 runs in just six overs.

Pooran further returned to the field by raising his bat in the 14^th over and his 50 came off just 31 balls, marking his first half-century in a T20 World Cup. Further, he didn’t stop and played the overs with 12, 13, 14 and 15 runs.

In the 18^th over, Pooran further showcased his form and the played the innings of 24 runs against the Rashid Khan- an Afghanistan bowler. Rovman Powell also got catch out with the inning of 26 runs in 15 balls which brought Andre Russel to the crease in the 19^th over.

Further, the bowlers of the West Indies also restricted Afghanistan at 114 by making them all out and with this, the team secured their first defeat in the World Cup match. The West Indies won the match by 104 runs and entered the super 8 format with four wins in the group stage and turned out most successful team.

Records broken by West Indies Team

• West Indies played higher power play of 92 runs in the history of T20 World Cup.
• The team recorded the highest total of Men’s 2024 T20 World Cup.
• It turned out to be highest individual innings of Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
• Highest total for West Indies in Men’s T20 World Cups
• Equal most runs conceded in one over in Men’s T20 World Cup History
• Nicholas Pooran overtook Chris Gayle for most sixes by West Indies player in T20 Men’s history and secured 88 sixes in this season.