India Champions have qualified for the semi-finals in the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) in England but not in ideal conditions as they have advanced owing to a better net run rate than South Africa. Whether it's the senior team or the legends team, rain or net run rate keeps haunting the Proteas sides as Jacques Kallis and Co despite a massive 54-run win against the India Champions, fell short on the net run rate having begun their WCL campaign with three defeats by 9 wickets, 104 runs and 6 wickets with the opposition chasing down totals in 11 overs and 19.1 overs in those two games.
India benefitted from their two wins against West Indies and England champions at the start of their WCL campaign which meant that despite the losses to Pakistan, South Africa and Australia, they just about managed to finish in the top four to get through. India Champions finished in fourth place and hence will take on Australian champions, who piled on 275 against the West Indies Champions in their final group stage game.
The batters and bowlers both are struggling for India Champions. Yusuf Pathan and Irfan Pathan did just enough for India to cross that 153 mark against South Africa, otherwise, nothing has gone right for them in the last three matches. Harbhajan Singh was the sole bright star for India with the ball as his four-wicket haul helped the Men in Blue to keep a check on South Africa's scoring, who looked good again to post a mammoth total on the board after Jacques Snyman's brilliance in successive matches.
Richard Levi's 25-ball 60 put further dent in India as their pace bowling looked toothless on a very good wicket in Northampton. South Africa would be ruing their luck as despite beating India and Pakistan in consecutive games that too convincingly, they couldn't make it through.
After losing to Australia, the West Indies Champions finished in third place and will now face a strong Pakistan side in the first WCL 2024 semi-final while India play Australia in the second.
