3 records and milestones to watch out for in today’s India vs South Africa match of the 2023 World Cup ft. Virat Kohli
It's the top-of-the-table clash in the 2023 World Cup as an unbeaten India face their sternest test against second-placed South Africa, who have lost just one match so far - a 38-run loss against the spirited Netherlands side in Dharamshala.
Both teams have already qualified for the semi-finals and because there's no IPL-like top-two advantage at play, it might seem like it doesn't matter. But even a passing look at all big-deal competitions in any sport will tell you what's wrong.
It will tell you that momentum plays a massive role. It keeps the confidence sky-high and the legs and the minds working in the right direction. Neither India nor South Africa would want to lose that at this stage. The winner would also get earn a psychological advantage if the teams meet again in the knockouts.
Then there are some personal records to look after too. Again, it seems like they wouldn't matter but they surely do in terms of motivation and morale, especially when coupled with wins. And they add to the momentum as well.
Below, we'll look at the three records on line today:
#3 India's Mohammed Shami could be the fastest to 50 World Cup wickets
Five years from now, who'd believe that Mohammed Shami, India's backup pacer for the 2023 World Cup, got into the team due to an injury and bowled spells of 5/54, 4/22, and 5/18 in three matches at an average of 6.71?!
Before the last match, he needed five wickets to become India's top wicket-taker at the ODI World Cups. It looked impossible to achieve another five-wicket haul but he did it. Now, he needs five more wickets for another massive record.
If he picks a fifer today, in his 15th match at an ODI World Cup, he'd become the fastest bowler ever to reach 50 wickets in the tournament history. Mitchell Starc recently broke that record in Australia's first match against India.
The Aussie pacer reached the landmark in 19 matches, much quicker than Glenn McGrath (30 matches), Muttiah Muralitharan (30), Lasith Malinga (26), and Wasim Akram (34).
Shami has four matches to etch his name in history with an even brighter ink but you can't put him bet against him to do it today itself.
#2 Keshav Maharaj can be the fastest finger spinner to 50 ODI wickets for South Africa
When you think of South African bowling, you don't think of spin. Well, you might think of Imran Tahir but hardly anyone would think of finger spin. It's the kind of culture and the pitches in the country that only five finger spinners have taken more than 50 ODI wickets and one of them is batting all-rounder JP Duminy.
The current slow left-arm orthodox bowler, Keshav Maharaj, is just two wickets shy of the same landmark. If he reaches there today, in his 39th match, he'd become the fastest finger spinner in South Africa's history to get there.
He'll also be the second-fastest spinner after Tahir, who took 28 ODIs for 50 wickets.
#1 Virat Kohli needs 61 runs to become third highest run-scorer in World Cups
In the form Virat Kohli has been in this 2023 World Cup, records and milestones are following him like a lost puppy. After his 88 (94) against Sri Lanka, his fifth 50+ score in the tournament, he's now at 1472 runs from 33 matches in the World Cup.
If the Indian No. 3 scores 61 more today, he'll become the third-highest run-scorer in the history of the tournament, going past Kumar Sangakkara's record of 1532. He'll be only behind Sachin Tendulkar (2278) and Ricky Ponting (1743) in the list.