In a moment that perfectly encapsulates the agony of a billion fans, a young Indian team supporter was caught on camera fighting back tears after Abhishek Sharma was dismissed in the disaster in India. T20 World Cup Super 8 Clash against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. An emotional scene unfolded as India’s hopes of chasing down 188 were spectacularly dashed, with the defending champions suffering their own defeat in the end. Biggest T20 World Cup defeat.
The fan’s heart attack was caught on camera
As Abhishek walked back to the pavilion after a 12-ball 15, the broadcast cameras panned towards the stands where a young girl was visibly emotional as she broke down in tears at India’s dire situation. The image of a distraught fan, teary-eyed as India fell to 31 for 3 inside the powerplay, quickly went viral on social media platforms and became a poignant symbol of the nation’s collective heartache.
The packed 132,000-capacity stadium had moments ago been plunged into stunned silence after Corbyn Bosh scored a sensational finish despite almost colliding with teammate Keshav Maharaj. A costly misjudgment could have turned into a spectacular breakthrough, and the disappointment for a young fan watching his heroes tear apart was simply unbearable.
Corbin Bosch took a stunning catch despite colliding with Keshav Maharaj
The dismissal, which sparked an emotional response, came in the third ball of the fifth over. Marco Jansen bowled a clever ball to Abhishek who failed to pick the variation and mistimed his shot. The ball soared into the Ahmedabad night sky but did not carry much distance and created chaos among the South African hosts.
From mid-wicket, Bosh raced to the right, while Maharaj dropped sharply in mid-wicket. There was a moment of confusion as neither player made a decisive call. The two collided under the spinning ball, landing on Maharaj Bosch as they caught it.
Replays showed a clearly frustrated Bosh looking at Maharaj with a frosty expression, muttering something under his breath as he turned his back on the spinner. Although the tense moment was quickly forgotten in the festivities that followed, it underscored the high-stakes intensity of the contest.
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Abhishek’s brief reprieve before another setback
For Abhishek, the dismissal was another chapter in a dreadful tournament. The 25-year-old left-hander had entered the Super 8 clash after recording three consecutive ducks in the group stage against USA, Pakistan and Netherlands. When he finally opened his account with a boundary off Aiden Markram, the fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The boundary gave confidence to Abhishek and he used the South African speedster’s pace to perfection to follow it up with a lanky six off Kagiso Rabada in the third over. Another full toss from Rabada was sent through the covers for a four as the youngster looked to counter-attack and ignite India’s early wicket chase.
But his reckless impatience cost him dearly. Clearly frustrated by the lack of loose deliveries and desperate to dominate, Abhishek swung wildly at Jansen’s slower ball and miscued it on the leg side. His T20 World Cup scores now read 0, 0, 0 and 15 – a sequence that revealed India’s over-reliance on their openers.
Abhishek’s dismissal compounded India’s early woes. Ishan Kishan fell for a four-ball duck in the first game to take Markram behind the wicket. Tilak Varma followed soon after in the second over, with Jansen trapped for just 1. At 26 for 3, India were in deep trouble and Abhishek’s wicket worsened the skid.
Washington Sundar failed to sustain his innings and got off cheaply, skipper Suryakumar Yadav also failed to stop the chase. At one stage, India were reeling at 51 for 5, a position few expected at the start of the innings. Things went from bad to worse from there, with the table reading an alarming 8 for 8 as wickets kept falling.
The hosts were bundled out for 111 in 18.5 overs in a 76-run defeat.
