T20 Cricket World Cup: India survive scare against Bangladesh to keep finals hopes alive

India have survived in a thriller against Bangladesh, keeping their finals hopes alive, after a rain delay triggered a Tigers batting collapse.

Nothing - not even Adelaide’s fickle weather - can stop the king.

Indian superstar Virat Kohli is turning the T20 World Cup into his own one-man show with a series of breathtaking performances with the bat.

His latest knock - an unbeaten 64 in Wednesday’s thrilling rain-affected win against Bangladesh at Adelaide Oval - saw Kohli set a stack of records that may never be beaten by anyone else once his final run tallies are completed.

Already the leading runscorer in T20 internationals, Kohli overtook Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene to become the most prolific batter in T20 World Cups, lifting his career total to 1065 runs at an average of 88.75.

India have survived a late scare, to keep their finals hopes alive after claiming victory in a thriller against Bangladesh. AFP.

Those are impressive numbers but they are nothing compared to Kohli’s off the charts performances at this World Cup.

In his four innings so far he has strung together scores of 82 not out, 62 not out, 12, and 64 not out. That’s an aggregate - and his average because he’s only been dismissed once - of 220.

And the master is not finished yet because India still has at least one group game left, against Zimbabwe, and probably more if they make the semis, which now seems inevitable after their heart stopping win over a brave Bangladesh.

Kohli’s 64 came off just 44 balls and featured eight boundaries and a six, straight down the ground off Hasan Mahmud, and it proved decisive in India’s narrow victory.

Struggling opener KL Rahul bounced back to form with a blazing half-century off 32 balls where he cleared the ropes four times as India piled on 6-184, their highest total of the tournament.

Virat Kohli is now the most prolific run scorer in T20 World Cup matches, after a scoring 64 came off just 44 balls. Picture: AFP.

Needing a six off the last ball to tie the scores and force a super over, Bangladesh finished on 6-145 in reply to lose by just five runs after being set a revised target of 151 off 16 overs when the foul weather cruelly stopped their momentum.

They made a flying start - with opener Litton Das belting the Indian bowlers around the ground for a 21-ball half century - to reach 0-66 from seven overs when rain stopped play for almost an hour.

When the match was restarted, only four overs had been deducted, leaving Bangladesh chasing a further 85 runs off nine overs to win.

They got desperately close in the end but their chances evaporated in the first over after the resumption when the electric Das was run out at the nonstriker’s end for 60 after a direct hit from Rahul at deep mid-wicket.

That triggered a catastrophic batting collapse of 6-40, which Bangladesh were unable to recover from despite a late flurry.

Litton Das was on fire early, but the rain delay triggered a Bangladesh batting collapse. Picture: AFP.

“It was a pretty close game, not as close as we would’ve liked it to be,” Kohli said.

“It was another good day with the bat. I guess I was trying to play myself into the innings. When I went in there was pressure.

“I was watching the ball well. I’m just in a happy space, I don’t want to compare anything. What’s in the past is in the past. As soon as I knew the World Cup was in Australia, I was grinning from ear to ear.

“I knew good cricketing shots would be the key. I knew the kind of experience and game awareness of having played in Australia will come in handy for the team

“ I absolutely love playing in this ground. Right from the nets at the back, as soon as I enter, it makes me feel at home. That knock at MCG was meant to be, but when I come here, it’s like I’m meant to come to Adelaide and enjoy my batting.”