Match: 3rd T20 World Cup 2012
Venue: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | Date: Sep 19, 2012
Toss: Afghanistan won the toss and elected to field.
Result: India won by 23 runs
Man of the Match : Virat Kohli

In the third match of T20 World Cup 2012, it was ICC cricketer of the year Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina which saved the day for India in batting department and Yuvraj Singh in the bowling. Afghanistan won the toss and invited India to bat first. G Gambhir and V Sehwag opened the innings but both failed to provide good start and went back to pavilion when then team score was just 22. Virat Kohli then came to the center and played superbly for his half century and he along with Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina helped India post a total of 159/5 in 20 overs.

Chasing 160 to win and create a real upset, Afghanistan started brilliantly and crossed 50 in the 8th over for the loss of just 2 wickets. Team India looked in some trouble before Yuvraj Singh claimed two wicket in two balls to reduce Afghanistan to 75/4 in 11.3 overs. This triggered the fall of wickets as inexperienced Afghanistan’s middle order collapsed under pressure. From 75/2 they went to 136 all out and thereby loosing the match by 23 runs.

Team India though have won the match but it was Afghanistan who have won more hearts with the kind of resistance their top batting order showed. India needs to pull up the socks for the upcoming matches if they wish to even enter the semi finals.

Match Highlights
India
India: 50 runs in 7.5 overs (47 balls), Extras 3
India: 100 runs in 13.5 overs (83 balls), Extras 7
V Kohli: 50 off 38 balls (4 x 4, 2 x 6)
India: 150 runs in 19.5 overs (119 balls), Extras 16

Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 50 runs in 6.4 overs (40 balls), Extras 1
Afghanistan: 100 runs in 14.5 overs (89 balls), Extras 4

3rd Match ICC World Twenty20 ,Group A-India vs Afghanistan Scorecard