Team India gave its cricket fans the perfect Diwali gift as they crushed the Netherlands by 160 runs to register their ninth successive wins in this ICC World Cup 2023 on Sunday.
Chasing a mammoth 411 for victory, the Dutch got bowled out for 250 in 47.5 overs to end their campaign in the league stage.
India remain undefeated in league stage
India meanwhile, will head into the semi-finals as the only undefeated team in this edition and will next face New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15.
Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj bagged a couple of scalps each for the Men in Blue while Jasprit Bumrah and the "in-swinging wrong-footed menace" Virat Kohli also got themselves on the wickets column in Bengaluru. Even Rohit got a wicket to finish the match for his side.
Iyer, Rahul light up Chinnaswamy on Diwali
Earlier in the day, brilliant hundreds from Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul powered India to 410 for 4, which is the highest total in this edition.
Iyer remained unbeaten on 128 while Rahul made 102 during their 208-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Openers Rohit Sharma (61), Shubman Gill (51) and Kohli (51) also hit half-centuries each in the first half.
"I kind of had a deja vu. This had happened against Australia as well, and I threw my wicket and I came but this time I wanted to come not out. Wanted to pills I took for the cramps to kick in.
"Today it came and I am very happy. The scores I got in the last few days helped me. The wicket was playing tacky, a bit two paced. I wanted to capitalise on the start," Iyer said after being adjudged player of the match
Records galore in Bengaluru
This is the first time in the ODI World Cup history that the top-five batters scored 50-plus runs in an innings. Rahul's century came in just 62 balls which is the fastest for India in this World Cup.
Rohit also added a feather to his batting cap as he broke AB de Villiers's record for the most sixes in a calendar year with his 54th maximum. Kohli meanwhile, overtook Quinton de Kock (591) to become the leading run-scorer in this World Cup with 594 runs.
With 9 wins out of 9, India also recorded its longest unbeaten streak in ODI World Cup history, surpassing the 8 on the trot they won in the 2003 edition in South Africa.
