In their final World Cup league match against the Netherlands, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul showcased exceptional batting performances, propelling India to an imposing total of 410/4 on Sunday.
Iyer, with an unbeaten 128 off 94 balls, achieved a career-best ODI century, while KL Rahul's rapid 102 off 64 balls marked the fastest World Cup hundred by an Indian. The duo combined for an impressive partnership of 208 runs off 128 balls.
Iyer's calculated aggression and Rahul's graceful power fuel India's onslaught
Iyer, who batting prowess lies in his ability to minimize risks, targeted specific areas to maintain a steady flow of runs. While generally adept at handling spin bowling, Iyer focused on accumulating singles and twos against left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe, while aggressively targeting off-spinner Aryan Dutt and pacers Paul van Meekeren and Logan van Beek. Van Meekeren, in particular, felt the heat as Iyer lofted him for two massive sixes over long-on and cover, capitalising on the Dutch pacer's tendency to bowl too wide. These were not forced shots; the balls were simply begging to be hit, and Iyer obliged with effortless power. Soon after, he reached his century with a single to mid-off off pacer Bas de Leede, consuming just 84 balls.
Meanwhile, Rahul played the perfect second fiddle, effortlessly rotating the strike and mesmerising the crowd with his signature swat-flick six off Van Meekeren over mid-wicket. Rahul soon carved his own path in the partnership, unleashing a series of graceful yet damaging shots that left the Dutch bowlers flustered. He brought up his seventh ODI century in spectacular fashion, dispatching two successive sixes over mid-wicket off pacer De Leede in just 62 balls, marking the fastest hundred by an Indian batter in the ODI World Cup.
Meanwhile, contributions from Rohit Sharma (61), Virat Kohli (51), and Shubman Gill (51), who all scored fiery fifties, further strengthened India's dominant batting display after choosing to bat.
Facing the Netherlands, Bas de Leede (2/82), Paul van Meekeren (1/90), and Roelof van der Merwe (1/53) were the wicket-takers for the opposition.
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