"Cheeku mujhe NZ walo ke aansuon ki HD photos bhej" - Top 10 funny memes as India break semifinal jinx by beating New Zealand in 2023 World Cup
Team India finally broke their semifinal jinx by beating New Zealand in the knockout game of the 2023 World Cup on Wednesday (November 15) at the Wankhede in Mumbai.
It came after their string of losses in the semifinals of multiple tournaments since 2015. They have also reached the final of the ODI World Cup for the first time in 12 years.
Team India batted first in the contest and notched up a gigantic total of 397-4 in 50 overs. Shreyas Iyer (105) and Virat Kohli (117) hit magnificent centuries, while Shubman Gill (80*), Rohit Sharma (47), and KL Rahul (39*) chipped in with valuable knocks.
In response, New Zealand fought hard and were in the hunt for most of the game due to a wonderful century from Daryl Mitchell (134). Kane Williamson (69) and Mitchell put on 181 runs for the third wicket, exerting pressure on the hosts.
Mohammed Shami, though, broke the threatening stand in the 33rd over by dismissing Kane Williamson and providing an opening for the hosts. He piled on New Zeaaland's misery by ending up with a seven-wicket haul and helped Men in Blue eventually win by 70 runs.
Cricket fans on social media enjoyed the high-scoring encounter between India and New Zealand on Wednesday. They expressed their reactions by sharing hilarious memes. Here's a collection of the best memes:
"It was important to stay calm" - Indian captain Rohit Sharma after win against New Zealand
At the post-match presentation, Team India captain Rohit Sharma reflected on the semifinal win:
"I've played a lot of cricket here. Any score on this ground is chaseable. You cannot relax. Uou got to get the job done as quickly as possible. We knew there'd be pressure and partnerships.
"We just had to stay collected, and that's what we did. Even though we were a bit sloppy on the field, that can happen. These things are bound to happen, but I'm happy we got the job done in the end.
He continued:
"It was important to stay calm - the crowd went absolutely silent at one stage, but we needed a moment of magic, either a good catch or a good ball. That's got to do with the form these guys are in - the top 5-6 batters have made it count upon given an opportunity.
On the performance of the batting unit, Rohit added:
"Very pleased with Iyer. Gill batted brilliantly upfront. Kohli was brilliant as usual, played that landmark innings and got to that landmark. There's always pressure when you play the game. The semifinal added to it."
South Africa and Australia square off in the second semifinal of the World Cup on Thursday (November 16) in Kolkata. India face the winner of that game in the summit clash in Ahmedabad on Sunday.