2024 T20 World Cup: 3 records that can be broken in today’s India vs England match ft. Rohit Sharma
When you think about these words - India, England, men's T20 World Cup, semi-final, records - together in one breath, the first record that comes to mind is Jos Buttler's team becoming the first to script a 10-wicket win in a semi-final of the tournament. That record still stands, and probably haunts the Men in Blue too.
The only way to overcome is a win. We can't know if this match will throw as big a record as seen in a 10-wicket win, because the wicket is likely to be bowling-friendly and rain-marred. But there are some individual records on the line, which can be completed in either case. Check them out:
#3 With three wickets, Hardik Pandya can become India's best against England in T20Is
Hardik Pandya's wicket-taking ability is most underrated in the current Indian team. The all-rounder is needed more for his batting but has often stepped up with the ball across conditions and sometimes in the biggest games. Even in the 2024 T20 World Cup, he has picked up eight wickets in six games at an average of 19.63.
If he picks up three more in the semi-final, he'll become India's highest wicket-taker against England in T20Is. He has 14 wickets (the most for him for any opponent) against them at an average of 24.43. This record is just two scalps short of current leader Yuzvendra Chahal's 16 wickets in 11 T20Is against England.
With Chahal unlikely to feature in the game, Pandya has an excellent chance to go past him and add another feather to his cap.
#2 Adil Rashid needs just one more wicket to be England's best in T20 World Cups
England's leading leg-spinner Adil Rashid is their joint-highest wicket-taker in the 2024 T20 World Cup with nine wickets. His experience and smart execution of simple but meticulous plans put him forward as one of the best bowlers in the 2022 T20 World Cup and has given him a similar image in 2024 too.
Now, he has the chance to cement that record and emerge as India's greatest in men's T20 World Cup history. Currently, Rashid is tied with Stuart Broad at the top of England's wicket-taking charts in the tournament for 30 scalps in 29 and 26 games, respectively. Picking another against India would put him in a league of his own.
#1 Rohit Sharma is chasing Virat Kohli's records
In a usual T20 World Cup for him, Virat Kohli would have broken this record by now. But he has had a tough time in 2024, scoring just 37 runs in six innings so far. Although others have stepped up in his absence, his experience might be the most important thing for India in the semi-final and, hopefully for India, in the final too.
But now, he has left himself vulnerable to losing a couple of records to India captain Rohit Sharma. Kohli is currently the highest run-scorer in men's T20 World Cups with 1207 runs. Thanks to his recent burst of form and an excellent showing against Australia, Rohit is just 53 runs behind it, albeit after 12 more games.
Moreover, Rohit also needs just five more boundaries to beat Mahela Jayawardene's record for most boundaries (111) in the tournament. This was something we spoke for Kohli in previous such pieces but the former captain is still seven boundaries behind the Sri Lankan great.