BENGALURU: India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat first against the Netherlands in the final league game of the Cricket World Cup on Sunday.
India is atop the points’ standings with 16 points from eight wins – the only unbeaten side in the tournament. It will be aiming for a clean sweep in the league stage ahead of the semifinals, where the two-time champions will take on fourth-placed New Zealand in the first semifinal at Mumbai on Nov. 15.
Second-placed South Africa will take on five-time champions Australia, which finished the league stage in third place, in the second semifinal at Kolkata on Nov. 16.
The Netherlands has four points from eight games from its two wins against South Africa and Bangladesh. It is placed tenth in the standings and needs a win against India to move to six points and edge out eighth-placed Bangladesh, which would confirm its qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
The top eight teams in the league stage of this World Cup qualify for the Champions Trophy.
India is unchanged from its previous game against South Africa in Kolkata, which it won by a huge 243 runs.
The Netherlands also fielded an unchanged team from its previous game against England in Pune, which it lost by 160 runs.
A capacity crowd is expected at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium with the match cooinciding with the auspicious festival of Diwali.
Star Indian batter Virat Kohli will again be in the spotlight – he has scored 543 runs in eight matches, third highest in the tournament thus far.
More importantly, he is currently on 49 ODI centuries and level with compatriot and Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, with a Sunday full-house anticipating a record 50th hundred at his adopted home ground. He plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.
The Bengaluru pitch should aid batters, and Kohli in his endeavour. A high scoring game could be in the offing, with chasing under lights preferable at this venue.
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Lineups:
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Lokesh Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Netherlands: Wesley Barresi, Max O’Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (captain), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren
India wins toss and will bat against Netherlands at Cricket World Cup
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India wins toss and will bat against Netherlands at Cricket World Cup
- Undefeated India play their last league game before facing New Zealand in the semifinal
- Netherlands have beaten just South Africa and Bangladesh from their eight league matches
Saudi Pro League warns Al-Nassr’s Ronaldo no player is bigger than club
- Ronaldo did not take part in the club’s SPL win at Al-Riyadh on Monday and is now set to miss Friday night’s clash against Al-Ittihad
RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League has warned Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo that “no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club” amid doubts over his future at Al–Nassr.
Ronaldo, reportedly unhappy at the club’s lack of transfer activity, did not take part in the club’s Saud Pro League win at Al-Riyadh on Monday and is now set to miss Friday night’s clash against Al-Ittihad.
In a statement issued to BBC Sport, a Saudi Pro League spokesperson said: “The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules.
“Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.”
The 40-year Ronaldo missed Al-Nassr’s match against Al-Riyadh on Monday amid reports he is on strike over the club’s lack of transfer activity.
Portuguese media outlet A Bola reported that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was unhappy that Al-Nassr, which is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has not strengthened its squad as it challenges for the league title.
“Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al–Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition,” the Saudi Pro League spokesperson said.
“Like any elite competitor, he wants to win.
“But no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club.
“Recent transfer activity demonstrates that independence clearly. One club strengthened in a particular way. Another chose a different approach. Those were club decisions, taken within approved financial parameters.”
The Saudi Pro League spokesperson added: “The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, the title race is very much alive. That level of balance reflects a system that is working as intended.
“The focus remains on football – on the pitch, where it belongs – and on maintaining a credible, competitive competition for players and fans.”
