India edge ahead in T20 World Cup odds after thumping Afghanistan

India have solidified their position as favourites to win the 2024 T20 World Cup, recording a big win over Afghanistan in their first Super Eight match on Thursday night.

Opting to bat first, the world No.1 team racked up a healthy score of 181/8 on a tricky pitch in Bridgetown, Barbados. Suryakumar Yadav was the primary contributor, accruing 53 from 28 balls.

In response, Afghanistan struggled. They found themselves 23/3 after four overs, and while their middle order made strong contributions, they were never able to be competitive.

Falling 47 runs short, Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup campaign is now in serious trouble.

India, on the other hand, have improved their odds of winning the tournament to +162 across most major cricket bookmakers.

Yadav innings bodes well for India

This was a match that could very well have gone another way.

At the halfway point of the innings, India were 79/3 with a run rate of less than eight per over. Rashid Khan had two wickets to his name already, having gone for just 10 runs from his two overs.

India were in danger of being suffocated by Afghanistan’s brilliant spin-bowling attack and limping through to a mediocre score.

That is, until Yadav came to the crease and fought fire with fire. The middle-order batsman went at Khan, plundering 16 runs from the six balls he faced from the spinner.

“When Rashid bowls, it’s very difficult to pick him,” explained Yadav.

“He’s the best bowler in the world, you can’t let him dominate.

“I know what shots to play when I am inside. You have to be a step ahead.”

It was Yadav’s second half-century in a row at the T20 World Cup, which bodes well for India’s title hopes.

“I’ve practiced batting in the middle overs and have played a lot there,” Yadav continued.

“I enjoy batting in that phase, between overs seven to 15, that’s where teams try and control the game.”

Yadav is now paying +137 with leading online bookmakers to be India’s top batsman of the tournament, and +1800 to be the top scorer overall.

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