T20 WC: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul propel India to 66-run win against Afghanistan to keep semi-final hopes alive

The Virat Kohli-led Team India defeated Afghanistan by 66 runs to keep their hopes of making it to the semi-final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup alive. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul hammered half-centuries to guide India to a mammoth 210 for two in a must-win match on Wednesday (November 3) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

In reply to that, Afghanistan could only score 144-7 in 20 oversas they lost wickets on regular intervals, with Karim Janat (42) scoring the maximum runs for the team as a disciplined bowling attack kept the match in control with spinner Ravichandran Ashwin taking two wickets and Mohammed Shami taking three crucial wickets.

After being asked to bat first, Sharma (74) and Rahul (69) put on an opening partnership of 140 to lay the foundation for the tournament's highest total so far in the Super 12 match.

Sharma took five balls to get going with a boundary off skipper Mohammad Nabi and then tore into the bowling attack. India raced to 53 in the first six overs of the powerplay to signal their intent in a competition where they need to win all three remaining matches to have any chance of making the semi-finals.

Rohit reached his fifty with a boundary off fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq and then hit a six to bring up the 100 for the opening stand. Sharma, who had scores of zero and 14 in India's two losses, smashed the bowlers all around the park for eight fours and three sixes in his 47-ball knock before losing his wicket to Karim Janat.

Rahul soon followed his partner to the dugout after being bowled by Gulbadin Naib on a slower yorker.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya rode the momentum to smash the bowlers as they put on an unbeaten partnership of 63.

Pandya, who hit 35, the left-handed Pant, who made 27, hit five sixes between them in total domination by the Indian batting.