T20 World Cup 2022: Milestone alert for Ashwin as India enter semis

Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday added another feather to his cap during India’s group game against Zimbabwe at the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia. The off-spinner went past Jasprit Bumrah to become India’s third-highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket.

India went into their last Super 12 game against Zimbabwe at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), having already qualified for the semi-final. Fifties from KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav powered the Men in Blue to a strong total of 186/5 in their 20 overs.

Chasing a stiff target, Zimbabwe lost their first wicket on the opening delivery of the chase, followed by another jolt in the next over. While the pace battery ran through the top order, Ashwin got into the act to dismantle the middle and lower-middle order. His first wicket came just when India desperately needed a breakthrough. At the start of the 14th over, Zimbabwe were halfway through their target. A sizzling partnership brewing between Ryan Burl and Sikandar Raza kept their team in the hunt, with the occasional boundary coming in. Until Ashwin returned for his second spell.

Bowling his third over, Ashwin came in and fired a quick and full delivery on the leg stump to clean up Burl (35 off 22). He then came back to bowl a double-wicket final over to finish with economical figures of 3/22, as India marched their way to a 71-run victory.

Ashwin’s three-wicket haul means that he continues to be India’s leading wicket-taker in T20I World Cups. With 32 scalps so far, he’s currently 7th on the list of all-time highest wicket-takers in the tournament’s history.