India become first side to qualify for 2023 World Cup semi-finals, register second-largest margin of victory in ICC event
Team India continued their domination in the 2023 World Cup, demolishing Sri Lanka by 302 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 2. It was also India's second-largest margin of victory in ODIs, with their largest coming against the same opponent by 317 runs earlier this year.
It is also the second-highest margin of victory in an ICC event and only seven runs short of Australia's 309-run thumping of the Netherlands earlier in the World Cup.
With their seventh win in as many games, Team India moved to the top of the points table and became the first to qualify for the semi-final. It is India's fourth successive ODI World Cup semi-final since the disastrous 2007 campaign in the West Indies.
Meanwhile, the massive defeat realistically eliminated Sri Lanka from semi-final contention with their fifth loss in seven games despite still having a mathematical chance of finishing in the top four.
With two round-robin games remaining, Rohit Sharma and company will look to continue their rampaging form in the top-of-the-table clash against South Africa and the Netherlands.
The Men in Blue will hope to win their first ICC event since the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.
Team India continue their dominance over Sri Lanka in ODIs
Team India continued their dominance over their Asian rivals with a sixth consecutive victory in ODIs and a resounding 16th in their last 18 meetings, dating back to 2017.
After being sent into bat on a batting beauty in Mumbai, the hosts were rocked early with the wicket of skipper Rohit Sharma off the second ball of the innings. However, following a few early jitters, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli stitched together a match-winning 189-run partnership off 178 deliveries.
While the duo missed their respective centuries by a whisker, the momentum created was carried forward by Shreyas Iyer, who scored a quick-fire 82 off 56 balls. India finished on 357/8 in their 50 overs, setting up a daunting task for the Lankan batters.
Despite being in a must-win situation, the Lakans displayed little fight and succumbed to a spectacular display of fast bowling by the Indian pacers. Mohammed Siraj brought memories of the Asia Cup final, picking up three wickets in his opening seven deliveries before finishing with 3/16.
However, the star was Mohammed Shami, who picked up his second five-wicket haul of the World Cup, bursting through the Lankan lineup with figures of 5/18 in five overs.
Despite playing only three of India's seven games in the tournament, Shami is already sixth on the leading wicket-takers list with 14 scalps.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli jumped up to No.2 on the run-scoring chart for the World Cup with 442 runs, and Jasprit Bumrah picked up a wicket to remain on No.5 with 15 scalps.