5 most memorable moments from India's ICC tournament warm-up matches ft. Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni
India will play a solitary warm-up match ahead of T20 World Cup 2024. The game will take place on Saturday in New York against neighbors Bangladesh. Generally, teams play two warm-up matches before any ICC event. However, the Indian cricketers were busy with IPL 2024, which is why the ICC could arrange only one game.
The warm-up matches do not have international status. The stats of the players are not impacted by their performance in these games. Also, a team is not required to name a playing XI for such matches. Eleven players can bat and as many players can bowl as per the team's need.
Since there isn't much at stake in such games, players do not take them that seriously. Fans get to see a different side of their favorite players at times, and here's a list of five memorable moments from India's previous warm-up matches.
#1 MS Dhoni asks Bangladesh to adjust the field in warm-up match
Like the upcoming T20 World Cup, India took on Bangladesh in the 2019 ODI World Cup's warm-up round. MS Dhoni scored a magnificent century in that game. He scored 113 runs off 78 deliveries, smacking eight fours and seven sixes.
During his knock, there was a moment in the 40th over, when Dhoni stopped bowler Sabbir Rahman and asked him to move the square leg fielder slightly left. Sabbir then gestured the square leg fielder to move left and went back to bowl.
#2 Virat Kohli surprises Steve Smith with an in-swinger
Virat Kohli has been one of the most successful batters in T20 World Cup history. However, he features on this list for his bowling performance in a game against Australia before the mega event in 2021.
Kohli bowls right-arm medium pace with an awkward action, and he decided to roll his arm against Australia. He surprised Steve Smith with a couple of brilliant in-swingers to start the spell.
#3 Virat Kohli's stunning catch against Australia
A year later, India took on Australia before the T20 World Cup 2022. Virat Kohli once again grabbed the headlines, and this time it was for his fielding.
In the final over of the game, the home side needed seven off four when Pat Cummins tried to smash a ball from Mohammed Shami over the long-on boundary. It looked like the shot would fetch Cummins six runs, but Kohli took a one-handed screamer to send the Aussie back to the dressing room.
#4 Mohammed Shami makes a surprise return
In the aforementioned match, Mohammed Shami helped India record a six-run win with his brilliance in the last over. Shami had not played a single T20I for India after the T20 World Cup 2021, but he was named in the squad for the mega event in 2022.
Shami did not bowl any over in the game against Australia until the final over. Captain Rohit Sharma then handed him the ball, and Shami defended 11 runs successfully, ending with figures of 3/4. He dismissed Kane Richardson, Josh Inglis and Cummins.
#5 Umesh Yadav's incredible 5-wicket haul against Australia
It is rare to see Australia losing a 50-over match by 243 runs, but India absolutely crushed them in Cardiff before the 2013 Champions Trophy. Dinesh Karthik's unbeaten 146 helped India reach 308/6 in 50 overs.
In reply, Australia slumped to 28/5 in the 10th over as Umesh Yadav sent Matthew Wade, David Warner, Philip Hughes, George Bailey and Mitchell Marsh back to the dressing room. He rattled the stumps of Wade, Hughes and Bailey, while Marsh and Warner were caught out.
Yadav ended with dream figures of 5/18 in five overs as India bowled the Aussies out for just 65 runs in 23.3 overs.