Former South African skipper Faf du Plessis believes Arshdeep Singh’s six-run over against the West Indies in the T20 World Cup 2026 proved decisive in shaping the outcome of the match. He described it as a true match-winning effort, emphasizing that seemingly small moments like that can significantly influence the bigger picture.
In the match against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, March 1, India emerged victorious by five wickets in the must-win game of the T20 World Cup 2026. The team, which chose to bowl first, restricted the Windies to 195/4. The team then chased the target with ease in 19.2 overs. The victory ensured India’s qualification for the semifinals.
Although Sanju Samson stole the show with an astonishing unbeaten 97 off just 50 balls, Du Plessis credited the game-changer for the team with the 19th over bowled by Arshdeep Singh. After giving away 24 runs in the previous over, the left-arm pacer made an astonishing comeback by giving away only six runs in the penultimate over. This ensured the West Indies didn’t surpass the 200-run mark.
In an episode of ESPNcricinfo, Du Plessis appreciated the calmness displayed by Arshdeep Singh while bowling the penultimate over. He particularly appreciated the impact created by the bowler.
“That one over in the context of the game is credit to him. The way that he executed – to go for six on a small ground, that is a match-winning over. If you are sitting in the dressing room and do the accolades, the coach or captain goes – our player of the day is you because of that over. People don’t realize how important a small contribution is in the big picture.”
Former India captain Anil Kumble also agreed that Arshdeep’s six-run over was critical to the outcome of the match. He commented:
“Having gone for 24 runs, and then sticking to his plan of wide yorkers… Maybe West Indies could have been smarter. Instead of looking to pump him down the ground for a six., they could have used the pace and the ground as well, which they didn’t. So, it worked in his favor.”
Arshdeep finished the T20 World Cup match with stats of 0-43 from four overs. Jasprit Bumrah led the way with 2-36, while Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakaravarthy both contributed 1-40 from four overs.
“You cannot afford that against England” – Anil Kumble on India’s worry ahead of T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal
While India advanced to the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a victory against the Windies, their fielding was awful once more. On Sunday, the Men in Blue dropped three receptions. Kumble believes India cannot afford another terrible day on the field against England in the knockout stage. He stated:
“The fielding, we saw the nerves were there. Dropped catches, misfields – you don’t expect that. Come semifinal, you cannot afford that against England. India would be happy, but there were nerves certainly because this was a must-win game.”
Team India will meet England in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2026 on March 5 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
