England coach Brendon McCullum, right, chats with England’s captain Harry Brook (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

MUMBAI: Calling Brendon McCullum “the best coach I’ve ever had”, England’s white-ball captain Harry Brook urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to retain the New Zealander as the team’s all-format head coach after England’s sevenrun semifinal loss to India. McCullum’s future has come under scrutiny following England’s poor Ashes tour of Australia, where they lost 1-4.After England’s narrow defeat to India, McCullum said he would “love to carry on,” with Brook insisting the former New Zealand captain remained “125%” the right man for the job. Brook said his partnership with McCullum had flourished since he took over as white-ball captain in April last year. “Our partnership has been really good since I took over. We get on very well and the communication has been outstanding. Long may it continue,” Brook said.

“I’ve said plenty of times he’s the best coach I’ve ever had. He has an aura in the dressing room and everyone looks up to him. What he achieved as a player was unbelievable and he’s carried that into his coaching. Over the last four years he’s changed English cricket for the better.”Brook also credited the culture of resilience in the side — something he believes McCullum helped foster — as England repeatedly fought their way back into matches during the tournament. “The boys have fought their arses off and we’ve been in the game until the very last ball almost every match,” Brook said.Despite winning six of their eight games, England never quite produced a complete performance during the World Cup. In the semifinal, England mounted a strong fightback, finishing at 246/7 in reply to India’s imposing 253/7 on what Brook described as a “bowlers’ graveyard”.Fighting the disappointment of the exit, Brook said he was proud of the team’s spirit. “Disappointed but extremely proud. As a captain I couldn’t ask for much more. We’ve had an amazing campaign.”Brook also admitted he had let India off the hook by dropping Sanju Samson at mid-on when the wicketkeeper-batter was on 15. “Catchers win matches, don’t they?” Brook said. “Unfortunately it didn’t stay in my hands. He played a very good innings and arguably won them the game. It’s not ideal, but it’s happened now.”

India’s Axar Patel (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

MUMBAI: Wankhede Stadium’s North Stand gave Axar Patel a rousing ovation as he settled into his fielding position at long-off. The applause was well-deserved. Within a span of about 40 minutes, Axar had produced game-changing fielding efforts that will be etched in Indian cricket folklore, much like Kapil Dev’s catch in the 1983 World Cup final and Suryakumar Yadav’s effort in the 2024 T20 World Cup summit clash.The 32-year-old had already taken one catch to dismiss Phil Salt when he produced the moment that lifted the team’s spirits and energised the crowd. It began with Jasprit Bumrah deceiving Harry Brook with a slower delivery with the first ball of his spell. The England captain skied the ball, which looked set to land safely in the deep cover region. Stationed inside the ring, Axar believed he could reach it. Sprinting back with his eyes fixed on the ball, he judged the trajectory perfectly and flung himself forward to complete a superb diving catch inches above the ground.

The second effort came in the 14th over and swung the match decisively in India’s favour. Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks had stitched together a threatening 77-run stand off 39 balls for the fifth wicket.Jacks sliced a full toss from Arshdeep Singh towards deep point, and once again the ball hung in the air. Axar, patrolling the boundary, sprinted across, held his balance and, just as he seemed to lose control, lobbed the ball to Shivam Dube before crossing the boundary, reducing England to 172/5.In between those efforts, Axar also used his guile with the ball, slowing the pace to dismiss Tom Banton, who had been scoring at a strike rate of over 350. He could have taken another blinder at long-off to dismiss Bethell as he neared his century, but the chance slipped and went over the boundary.India’s fielding had been a concern in the T20 World Cup, with 13 dropped catches before the semifinal. But led by Axar, the team produced a sharp display in the field, holding on to every chance — a positive sign heading into Sunday’s final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.Asked which of the two catches he cherished more, Axar responded with humour, saying the “ball had decided to chase me”. He added that Brook’s catch was difficult but Jacks’s dismissal was more crucial as it broke a dangerous partnership.Axar may not carry the aura of some of his teammates and has occasionally been overlooked. He had to hand over the T20 vice-captaincy to Shubman Gill during the 2025 Asia Cup and was benched for two matches in this tournament at his home venue, the Narendra Modi Stadium, against the Netherlands and South Africa.Yet Surya’s deputy has always been a team man. He spent those games in the dugout carrying drinks, cheering his teammates and waiting patiently for his chance — something he has done throughout his career. Axar has taken eight wickets with his leftarm spin in six matches at an economy rate of 8.09, the second-best among Indian bowlers after Bumrah’s 6.62.The Gujarat allrounder has also had to wait to play an ICC tournament on home soil, having missed the 2023 World Cup due to injury. With Axar now certain to feature in Sunday’s final, he is eager to play in front of his home crowd — with his son watching him live “for the first time”.“I think that’s why I didn’t play those two matches (as I had to play the final), because it is very important for me,” Axar said. “I have been waiting for many years to play in front of my family on my home ground. It’s a very proud moment. After two years, I will be playing on home ground — and that too in an ICC World Cup final.”On social media trolls calling the Ahmedabad stadium “jinxed”, Axar replied with a smile: “I didn’t play that game (the 2023 World Cup final), so now I think the jinx will be broken!”

India’s Jasprit Bumrah (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

AHMEDABAD: For a nation of just 5.3 million people — smaller than many of the world’s major cities — New Zealand’s cricketing rise over the past decade has been remarkable. The Black Caps have reached eight major ICC finals, including the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups, the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. They also lifted the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021 and made the semifinals of the 2023 ODI World Cup.Their women’s team are the reigning 2024 T20 World Cup champions while the men’s side now stand on the brink of their maiden T20 title when they take on India in the final of the T20 World Cup here on Sunday night.On Friday, New Zealand allrounder Glenn Phillips highlighted the contrast between the two cricketing nations. With India’s population exceeding 1.4 billion, Phillips noted the depth of talent available to the hosts, suggesting they could easily field three competitive sides in a T20 World Cup. New Zealand, by contrast, must rely on a far smaller talent pool.“Obviously we have a few less people in our country to choose from, which means our highperformance programs have to be very specific and tailored to the population we have,” Phillips said ahead of New Zealand’s training session. “But the talent that comes out of India is phenomenal. They could probably pick three sides that would compete just as evenly in this World Cup. So for us to go out and compete with teams around the world with such a small population is fantastic.”Phillips, meanwhile, refused to discount India’s out-of-form mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who conceded 64 runs in four overs against England in the semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. “We’ve played him quite a few times now, which helps,” Phillips said. “We’ll just try to face one ball at a time. He’s allowed to have a good day, but we’re also allowed to have a good day.”‘Bumrah is human as well’Phillips also acknowledged the threat posed by pacer Jasprit Bumrah, whose spells have proven decisive in the hosts’ last two matches. “We had a really good trip against him in the bilateral series but he’s a class bowler,” Phillips said. “Bumrah has so many variations and hits the blockhole at the death incredibly well. But he’s human as well.”

India’s Jasprit Bumrah (ANI Photo)

Two evenings before the Super-8 match against South Africa in Ahmedabad a fortnight ago, Jasprit Bumrah opted to bowl in an empty net, with two boots placed on either side of the batting crease. He kept hurling yorkers for a good 45 minutes. It was a drill he had started in Dharamshala during the T20I series against South Africa last December.Mohammed Siraj arrived at the practice area to bat in the adjacent nets, walked up to Bumrah and said, “ Aapko kya zarurat hain yorker practice karne ka? Aap toh beech raat ko neend se uthke bhi yorker maar sakte ho (Why do you need to practice bowling yorkers? You can get up from sleep in the middle of the night and land those yorkers)!” Bumrah smiled, nailed another perfect yorker which displaced one of the boots, and said, “ Bahut zarurat hain bhai (it’s very important).”

At 32, after multiple injuries and many match-winning performances across formats for over a decade, Bumrah still puts himself through drills that a 16-year-old would do at academy level. It just speaks of his constant hunger to be the best and remain at the top.Bumrah has been bowling up to the stumps and the boots in the nets throughout this World Cup campaign. One of his yorkers even landed on the left toe of Ishan Kishan ahead of the match against Namibia last month in Delhi.

Match by match

On Thursday night, in a tense semifinal against England in Mumbai, every yorker sent down by Bumrah was on point, helping to choke England’s chase.Finding another gear in tense situations, on the biggest stage, is nothing new for Bumrah. His spell of 2/20 in the last T20 World Cup final against South Africa was T20 bowling perfection. In this edition, he has shown he can improve on it.Thursday’s spell of 1/33 in a match that saw a match aggregate of 499 runs, and that too with a lot of dew present at the Wankhede Stadium, was the performance of a bowler in supreme control of his craft. That captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to bowl Bumrah out in the 18th over, when Jacob Bethell was on a rampage, proved he is still the No. 1 option when the Indian team is under pressure.

Bumrah in T20Is

Bumrah usually wears a coy smile after the perfect execution of his deliveries, be it the dipping slower balls, the zippy bouncers or the toe-crushing yorkers. He has also mastered the art of mentally distancing himself from ‘outside’ chatter and remains detached from any possible criticism. He has looked cold-blooded in the way he has gone about his job in this World Cup.India came into the tournament flaunting Varun Chakravarthy’s mystery spin as the trump card, but it is Bumrah who has covered up for him and risen to the occasion. It didn’t come as a surprise when England captain Harry Brook said, “Bumrah is a very good bowler, arguably the best of all time at the minute. He’s been a very good bowler for a long time.”Bumrah knows he is the most complete pacer going around. He also knows that to maintain that, he has to train like a rookie every day.

Axar Patel dives to take the catch of England’s captain Harry Brook. (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India vice-captain Axar Patel produced two extraordinary moments in the field that turned the tide in India’s thrilling semifinal victory over England at the Wankhede Stadium, and the all-rounder later revealed which of the two catches he believes was the tougher effort.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India edged England by seven runs in a high-scoring contest at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semifinal in Mumbai, a match that saw a staggering 499 runs scored across both innings. While the batters dominated the contest, Axar’s athletic brilliance in the field proved just as decisive.

The first moment of magic came early in England’s chase when the dangerous Harry Brook looked set to launch an assault. Off a slower delivery from Jasprit Bumrah, Brook mistimed a shot that seemed destined to fall safely. But Axar sprinted nearly 24 metres backward from cover, tracking the ball over his shoulder before completing a sensational diving catch.The Wankhede crowd erupted as the early breakthrough halted England’s aggressive start.Watch Catch No. 1:Axar’s second act of brilliance arrived in the 14th over, when England’s counterattack threatened to tilt the match. With Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks building a dangerous partnership, Jacks sliced a wide full toss from Arshdeep Singh toward deep point. Axar raced to his left, grabbed the ball just before crossing the boundary rope, and cleverly relayed it to Shivam Dube to complete a stunning team effort.That dismissal broke the 77-run stand and pulled India back into the contest.Watch Catch No.2:Asked to choose between the two fielding gems, Axar admitted the Jacks catch was more crucial in terms of match situation but rated the Brook catch as the tougher one.“When I took the first catch of Harry Brook, it was a very good catch for me, it was tough,” Axar said with a smile. “But if you look at the situation and the way England were batting, the catch of Will Jacks was very important to break the partnership.”“If you ask me fielding-wise, Harry Brook’s catch was tougher. And yeah, luckily today, I thought the ball was chasing me,” he joked.India eventually held their nerve despite Bethell’s brilliant century, setting up a summit clash with New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

NEW DELHI: India legend Sunil Gavaskar lavished praise on vice-captain Axar Patel for his breathtaking fielding display in India’s nerve-wracking T20 World Cup semifinal win over England at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Gavaskar even compared Axar’s impact in the field to that of Ravindra Jadeja, saying the all-rounder has stepped up to fill the void left by one of India’s greatest fielders.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India had earlier piled up a mammoth 253/7, powered by a blistering knock from Sanju Samson. England’s chase, however, threatened to derail India’s hopes as Jacob Bethell produced a sensational century to keep his side firmly in the contest.

But Axar’s brilliance in the field repeatedly halted England’s momentum.The first moment of magic came early in the chase when Jasprit Bumrah deceived Harry Brook with a slower delivery. Brook miscued the shot high over cover, and Axar sprinted back nearly 24 metres before diving forward to complete a stunning catch inches above the turf.ALSO READ: Axar Patel picks tougher of his two ‘out of this world’ catches — Watch & choose yours“Axar Patel’s catch to dismiss Harry Brook was unbelievable. Brook can take the game away and you have to grab every chance to get his wicket and Axar did that,” Gavaskar said while speaking on JioHotstar.“He ran 24 meters away from his fielding spot, kept his eyes on the ball, balanced himself and took the catch. Unbelievable stuff.”Axar wasn’t done yet. Later in the innings, when Will Jacks threatened to push England closer to the daunting target alongside Bethell, Axar produced another moment of brilliance. Chasing a sliced shot toward deep point, he ran hard across the turf, grabbed the ball while losing balance near the boundary rope and cleverly relayed it to Shivam Dube, who completed the catch.“He also played a key role in Will Jacks’ dismissal. The Bethell-Jacks partnership was taking the game away. But Axar ran to his left, grabbed the ball and smartly passed it to Shivam Dube,” Gavaskar added.Gavaskar believes Axar’s rise as a complete cricketer mirrors the impact Jadeja once had for India.“With his batting and bowling, Axar is going to be one of India’s great players. We had Ravindra Jadeja before him and Axar is filling that void well,” he said.

India’s Jasprit Bumrah hugs teammate Sanju Samson (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has lavished praise on star pacer Jasprit Bumrah following his decisive spell in India’s thrilling semi-final victory over England cricket team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan described Bumrah as a rare talent and said India should consider themselves fortunate to have a bowler of his calibre. The former pacer highlighted Bumrah’s complete skill set and his remarkable ability to deliver under pressure in the biggest moments.

“I have spoken about Bumrah many times before and I will say it again. We are lucky that a bowler like Jasprit Bumrah plays for India. India has never had a bowler like him before. Perhaps the world has rarely seen a bowler like him. He has everything including yorkers, slower balls, outswing, inswing, and bouncers. He also knows very well how to bowl under pressure,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.India had earlier piled up a massive 253/7 after being put in to bat, largely thanks to a blistering 42-ball 89 from Sanju Samson. However, England remained firmly in the chase for most of the innings, powered by a superb century from Jacob Bethell.With England still eyeing the target late in the innings, Bumrah produced a decisive moment in the 18th over. At the start of the over, England required 45 runs from the final three overs, but Bumrah conceded just six runs while delivering four pinpoint yorkers. The pressure was then amplified by Hardik Pandya, who bowled an excellent penultimate over that cost just nine runs and also accounted for Sam Curran. England eventually finished on 246/7, falling seven runs short of India’s total.Earlier in the innings, Bumrah had also delivered a tight 16th over, giving away just eight runs and further tightening India’s grip during the closing stages.Pathan felt Bumrah’s effort deserved the Player of the Match award, particularly because he bowled the toughest overs on a batting-friendly surface where runs flowed freely.“According to me, Jasprit Bumrah should have been the Player of the Match. If you watched the game, you would have noticed that every other bowler had an economy rate of around 10. Some were even above 10 or close to 15. On such a flat pitch, 500 runs were scored. The one who performs the difficult job in such conditions is the real Player of the Match. The kind of work Jasprit Bumrah does, he bowls the tough overs,” he said.Pathan also highlighted Bumrah’s tactical awareness, pointing to how the pacer outthought Harry Brook with clever variation rather than pace.“Once again, when he came to bowl, the first batter he faced was Harry Brook. He did not try to bowl fast because he has a brilliant cricketing mind. He trapped Harry Brook with a slower ball right away. Bumrah could have bowled a yorker or a bouncer on the first delivery and played on his ego thinking, ‘I am Jasprit Bumrah.’ But he does not do that. He understands the pitch, the conditions, and he reads the batter very well. He knew Harry Brook likes pace. So instead of giving him pace, he trapped him with a slower delivery, which eventually led to Axar Patel taking the catch.”India’s innings was built around Samson’s explosive knock of 89 off 42 balls, which included eight fours and seven sixes. Valuable contributions also came from Shivam Dube (43 off 25), Ishan Kishan (39 off 18), Pandya (27 off 12) and Tilak Varma (21 off seven) as India posted a formidable 253/7 in their 20 overs.England were once struggling at 95/4 before Bethell’s aggressive 105 off 48 balls, along with a 77-run stand with Will Jacks (35 off 20), brought them back into the contest. A brief four-ball blitz worth 19 runs from Jofra Archer nearly turned the match in England’s favour, but India managed to hold their nerve in the closing moments.With the win, India secured a place in the tournament final, where they will face New Zealand national cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 8 as they aim to capture another major ICC title.

Mumbai Indians team (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians have revealed their new jersey ahead of the highly anticipated Indian Premier League 2026 season, introducing a fresh design centred around a repeating ‘M’ motif that symbolises the franchise’s identity and philosophy.While the previous season’s kit retained the traditional blue and gold colours associated with the team, the 2026 version takes the visual concept a step further. The new jersey prominently features the letter ‘M’ arranged in a repeating pattern across the fabric, creating a sense of rhythm and continuity throughout the design. Despite their five championship titles, the jersey still does not display five stars above the team logo.

Explaining the concept behind the design, the franchise said the repeated ‘M’ reflects the mindset and collective energy that define the team.“The design of the Mumbai Indians’ jersey, edition 2026, is inspired by the letter ‘M’ developed as a repeating pattern to create rhythm and continuity across the print. The ‘M’ represents the MI mindset, mentality and momentum, reflecting focus and a forward-driving spirit. Transforming a single letter into a unified pattern expresses the collective strength that emerges when the team and its supporters come together,” the team said in a statement.The franchise also emphasised that the familiar colour scheme remains central to the jersey’s identity.“MI’s signature blue and gold define the visual identity of the jersey. The deep blue reflects the spirit of Mumbai, strong, energetic, and constantly in motion, while the bold, flowing gold waves introduce energy and movement into the design. Gold represents success, victory, and legacy, reinforcing the Mumbai Indians’ identity and enduring passion for the game,” the statement added.The team will once again be captained by all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has been in impressive form during the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.Mumbai Indians endured an inconsistent start to the 2025 season before staging a strong comeback to reach the playoffs. Their campaign eventually ended in Qualifier 2, where they were defeated by the Punjab Kings.The franchise has not lifted the IPL trophy since their triumph in 2020 and will be eager to end that drought in the 19th edition of the tournament. A title in 2026 would also make Mumbai Indians the first team in IPL history to claim six championships.

India’s Sanju Samson (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Sanju Samson may not have begun the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 as a regular in India’s playing XI, but the Kerala batter has since turned the tournament into a memorable one with crucial performances at key moments.The 31-year-old right-hander has delivered when it has mattered the most, producing match-defining knocks including an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies cricket team and a blistering 89 in the semi-final against the England cricket team. Despite his recent heroics, Samson was not part of India’s first-choice line-up during the group stage. His form had dipped in the series against New Zealand national cricket team prior to the tournament, which kept him out of the side initially.

Samson eventually featured only in the match against Namibia national cricket team in New Delhi after Abhishek Sharma was ruled out due to a stomach infection.However, the turning point came during the Super 8 stage. With off-spinners troubling both Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, the team management decided to bring Samson back into the side in order to change the tempo of the innings. Since returning to the XI, he has produced a string of impactful knocks and has emerged as one of India’s standout performers in the competition.His remarkable form has now earned him a nomination for the Player of the Tournament award. Samson is the only Indian player included in the shortlist. The other contenders are Will Jacks, Sahibzada Farhan, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert and Shadley van Schalkwyk.The shortlist was released by the International Cricket Council shortly after India’s dramatic seven-run victory over England in the second semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium.During that match, Samson was given an early lifeline when England captain Harry Brook dropped him on 15. The reprieve proved costly for England as the Indian batter went on to hammer 89 runs from just 42 balls, smashing seven sixes along the way. The knock also helped him surpass Rohit Sharma’s record for the most sixes by an Indian in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. Samson now has 16 sixes in the tournament, going past Rohit’s tally of 15.So far in the competition, Samson has accumulated 232 runs, making him India’s third-highest run-scorer behind Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.He has also claimed the Player of the Match award in two consecutive games, first against the West Indies and then against England. However, after the semi-final victory, Samson insisted that the honour should have gone to fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who conceded just 33 runs in his four overs in a high-scoring contest where nearly 500 runs were scored.“All credit goes to Jasprit Bumrah, the world-class bowler, once in a generation bowler. I think that’s what he delivered today. This (award) should go to him, actually. If we didn’t bowl that way in the death overs, I think I would not be standing here,” Samson said after winning the award.With the semi-final victory, India secured a place in the final, where the side led by Suryakumar Yadav will face New Zealand national cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, March 8.

Mumbai: India’s Shivam Dube (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil)

New Delhi: Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir had once famously shared his strong belief that batting orders are very overrated in white-ball cricket, drawing scrutiny. While the mentality has resulted in mixed results on other occasions, it certainly paid off handsomely in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against England. The visitors were caught by surprise after Shivam Dube walked in at number four following Ishan Kishan‘s dismissal instead of Suryakumar Yadav or Tilak Varma. Spinner Adil Rashid was one of the top wicket-takers (11 dismissals) going into the knockout match and had tasted blood after sending Kishan back to the pavilion.

The Indian innings was dominating proceedings at 117/2 in 9.3 overs, enjoying the pace on offer with small boundary dimensions. However, Rashid’s slow and wide deliveries, aimed at making the batters reach out, would have proved quite challenging in these conditions, holding the key to an English comeback. However, in stepped Dube when the team needed a hero, masterfully negotiating the English spinner, combining intent with risk-free gameplay. The good balls were tucked away for singles, while the deliveries bowled right in the arc found their way into the stands. ‘Shivam Dube 2.0 makes presence felt’ “Rohit Sharma gave Shivam a lot of inputs regarding the manner in which he should approach his innings. Earlier, he used to come in and simply slog. However, this is Shivam 2.0, who plays according to the situation. The maturity he obtained from the chat changed everything. Shivam now focuses on singles off good deliveries rather than simply hitting sixes, which helps him convert a quick-fire 25 into crucial 40s or 50s,” said Mumbai batter Siddhesh Lad during an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com. “There was a focus on taking singles while facing Rashid rather than simply attempting to slog every delivery. That is an indication of the newfound maturity Shivam enjoys, which proved crucial against England,” he added. Dube smashed Rashid for two sixes in his third over, reducing the pressure on Sanju Samson and giving the former no scope to settle and pull off a comeback. India were well placed on a dominant scoreline of 190/4 in 16 overs at the end of the English spinner’s spell (2/41), providing the perfect platform to finish strongly in a game decided by fine margins. Captain Harry Brook was left with no choice but to bring Jofra Archer and Sam Curran into the action, playing into Team India’s hands. ‘Dube’s intent puts spinners under pressure’ “It was tougher to play strokes when the ball was coming on slowly to the bat, which is where Dube proved to be a game-changer. When Shivam comes to bat, there is pressure on the spinners because of the intent with which he takes them on,” shared Dube’s childhood coach Satish Samant. Shivam was eventually dismissed due to a miscommunication with Hardik Pandya, leaving a lasting impact with his 25-ball 43 that helped India post a mammoth total of 253. The all-rounder has been a game-changer under pressure, scoring crucial boundaries against the West Indies, and will certainly have a vital role to play in the final.