Date: October 4th, 2012.
Location: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Event: Semi-Final 2, ICC World Twenty20 (India vs West Indies).
The Indian cricket team had arrived at the semi-finals of the 2012 World T20 like a force of nature. They had flattened Afghanistan, humiliated England, and breezed through the Super Eights without dropping a single point. They looked invincible.
But as the team bus pulled into the R. Premadasa Stadium, the atmosphere felt distinctly heavier. They were facing the West Indies. The Calypso Kings. A team packed with T20 freelancers who plied their trade in leagues around the globe. They didn't just have batsmen; they had artillery.
In the Star Sports studio, the experts were setting the stage for a blockbuster.
Pre-Match Commentary (Harsha Bhogle, Ian Bishop, & Ravi Shastri):
Harsha Bhogle: "Welcome to Colombo for the second semi-final! Sri Lanka awaits the winner of this clash in the Grand Finale. Tonight, we have the unstoppable Indian juggernaut facing the most dangerous, unpredictable team in the tournament: The West Indies. Ian, your boys have the firepower, but India hasn't lost a game yet."
Ian Bishop: "Harsha, invincibility is a myth in T20 cricket. It only takes one man, one spell, or one over to change the narrative. And the West Indies have Chris Gayle. They have Kieron Pollard. They have Sunil Narine. If Gayle bats for ten overs, the Indian bowlers will be looking for hiding places. India has been flawless, but they haven't been punched in the mouth yet. Tonight, we find out if they have a glass jaw."
Ravi Shastri: "You talk about firepower, Ian, but look at the Indian lineup! Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opening the batting, followed by Siddanth Deva at number three. That top three has scored over 60% of India's runs in this tournament. Deva is arguably the best bowler in the death overs right now. If it comes down to a slugfest, I'm backing the Men in Blue."
MS Dhoni and Darren Sammy stood in the middle, the humidity wrapping around them like a wet towel.
The coin went up. Dhoni called Heads.
It was Tails.
Darren Sammy: "We are going to bat first. It looks like a belter of a pitch. We want to put a massive total on the board. We have the big men in form, and we want to unleash them early. Sunil Narine will enjoy bowling second when the scoreboard pressure is on."
MS Dhoni: "We don't mind bowling first. The dew is a massive factor here in Colombo. It gets very difficult to grip the ball after 8 PM. We are playing the same XI. We back our chasers."
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Siddanth Deva (vc), Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Irfan Pathan, R. Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Pragyan Ojha.
The floodlights gleamed as Chris Gayle and Johnson Charles walked out to the middle. Zaheer Khan took the new ball, looking to find some early swing.
But the pitch was a concrete road, and Chris Gayle was driving a tank.
Over 0.2: Zaheer Khan to Chris Gayle
Zaheer bowled a gentle outswinger. Gayle didn't move his feet. He just stood still and let his massive tree-trunk arms do the work. He punched it over mid-off for a one-bounce four.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"Shot! Minimal footwork, maximum result! Chris Gayle is up and running!"(FOUR)
Over 3.4: Irfan Pathan to Chris Gayle
Irfan tried to angle it across the big Jamaican. Gayle cleared his front leg and swung through the line. The ball rocketed off the sweet spot, sailing high over the deep mid-wicket boundary and out of the stadium.
[Commentary - Ian Bishop]:"OH, MONSTROUS! That is out of the ground! Chris Gayle is teeing off in Colombo! Irfan Pathan misses his length by an inch, and it goes for a 105-meter maximum!"(SIX)
The Indian pacers were under absolute siege. Gayle was seeing the ball like a beachball. He bullied Lakshmipathy Balaji, hitting him for three consecutive boundaries in the 5th over.
Dhoni quickly turned to spin, bringing on Pragyan Ojha to slow the carnage.
Over 7.2: Pragyan Ojha to Chris Gayle
Ojha tossed it up, hoping for turn. Gayle went down on one knee and slog-swept it into the second tier.
[Commentary - Harsha Bhogle]:"Into the stands again! Fifty for Chris Gayle off just 22 balls! The Indian team is looking rattled for the first time in this World Cup! This is a brutal assault!"(SIX)
By the 9th over, the West Indies had rocketed to 95/0. It was a massacre. The projected score was flirting with 230.
In the field, MS Dhoni called for a quick huddle. Virat Kohli looked furious, kicking the turf.
"We need to pull the length back," Kohli snapped. "He's hitting everything full!"
"If we bowl short, he pulls," Dhoni countered calmly. "We need to take the pace off."
Dhoni looked at Siddanth Deva. "Sid. Stop the bleeding."
Siddanth Deva took the ball for the 11th over. He wiped the sweat from his brow. He analyzed Gayle's stance. The Jamaican was standing deep in his crease, waiting for pace, his bat raised high.
Over 11.4: Siddanth Deva to Chris Gayle
Deva ran in hard, simulating a 150 kmph delivery. But at the point of release, he rolled his fingers viciously over the seam. It was a 115 kmph off-cutter.
Gayle swung with all his might, expecting a fast length ball.
He was through the shot a week early. The ball dipped, gripped the surface, and spun sharply away from his flailing bat.
Thud. It crashed into the top of the off-stump.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"BOWLED HIM! CASTLED! Absolute genius from Siddanth Deva! He bowls a slow, dipping cutter, and the Universe Boss is completely deceived! The middle stump is knocked back! India desperately needed that, and the Vice-Captain delivers! Gayle departs for a blistering 75!"
WICKET (Chris Gayle 75). WI 102/1.
The stadium erupted in blue cheers. The beast had been slain.
Deva's over shifted the momentum. He followed up the wicket with two tight deliveries to Marlon Samuels, conceding only one run.
R. Ashwin capitalized on the pressure from the other end. In the 14th over, he bamboozled Johnson Charles with a carrom ball, trapping him plumb in front.
WICKET (Johnson Charles 32). WI 128/2.
The spin choke continued as Pragyan Ojha struck in the 16th over, removing Marlon Samuels caught at deep mid-wicket.
WICKET (Marlon Samuels 12). WI 145/3.
But the West Indies batting order was a hydra. Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo walked in. The death overs loomed.
Over 17.3: Zaheer Khan to Kieron Pollard
Pollard unleashed his brutal power, hitting Zaheer for a massive six straight down the ground, followed by a thick edge that flew for four. The run rate spiked again.
Over 19: Siddanth Deva to Kieron Pollard
Dhoni trusted Deva with the penultimate over.
18.1: Deva nailed a 148 kmph yorker. Pollard dug it out for a single.
18.2: Bravo swung at a slower bouncer and missed. Dot.
18.3: Bravo pushed it to cover for a quick single.
18.4: Deva missed his yorker by a fraction. Pollard smashed it flat over long-on.
[Commentary - Ian Bishop]:"What a strike! Pollard clears his front leg and sends it into orbit! The big man is finishing strong!"(SIX)
Deva recalibrated. He went around the wicket.
18.5: Fast, wide yorker. Pollard reached for it but couldn't make contact. Dot.
18.6: A searing inswinging yorker at 152 kmph. Pollard tried to jam his bat down, but the pace was too much. The ball crashed into the base of the leg stump.
[Commentary - Sunil Gavaskar]:"Timber! That is a rocket from Siddanth Deva! You cannot play that! Pollard is beaten by sheer pace! A phenomenal end to a crucial over!"
WICKET (Kieron Pollard 28). WI 180/4.
Irfan Pathan bowled the final over, conceding 12 runs, but picking up Bravo's wicket on the last ball.
Final Score: West Indies 192/5 (20 Overs).
Harsha Bhogle: "192 is a monumental total in a World Cup Semi-Final. The pressure is going to be immense. Deva brought India back into the game with those two crucial wickets, but the West Indies have set a daunting target. India needs a record chase tonight."
Target: 193.
Required Run Rate: 9.65.
The Indian openers, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, walked out to the middle. The dew had started to settle, making the outfield slick, but the pitch was still holding up. Darren Sammy knew he needed early wickets to induce panic. He opened the bowling with the mystery spin of Sunil Narine.
Over 1: Sunil Narine to Rohit Sharma
Narine was unreadable. He hid the ball behind his back, his action giving away no clues.
0.1: Carrom ball. Rohit defended tentatively.
0.3: Off-break. Rohit was beaten on the outside edge.
0.6: Narine fired one in quick and flat. Rohit, trying to break the shackles early, stepped out to play an inside-out drive. The ball gripped, spun away sharply, and took a thick outside edge.
The ball flew to short third man, where Ravi Rampaul took a simple catch.
[Commentary - Ian Bishop]:"Got him in the very first over! Sunil Narine strikes! Rohit Sharma tries to force the issue against the mystery spinner and perishes! This is the start the West Indies dreamt of! The crowd is stunned into silence!"
WICKET (Rohit Sharma 0). India 2/1.
A pin-drop silence fell over the Premadasa Stadium. Chasing 193, losing your opener for a duck in the first over was a nightmare scenario.
Siddanth Deva walked out at No. 3. He tapped gloves with Kohli mid-pitch.
Over 3: Fidel Edwards to Virat Kohli
Edwards ran in with raw pace, hitting 145 kmph consistently.
Kohli was ready. He leaned into a breathtaking cover drive that pierced the gap with mathematical precision.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"Oh, glorious! That is the shot of a king! Virat Kohli leans into the 145-click delivery and sends it racing to the boundary! Pure timing, no violence!"(FOUR)
Next ball, Kohli flicked Edwards off his pads through mid-wicket. Another boundary. The chase was officially on.
Deva, at the other end, played the supporting role, rotating the strike against Narine and punishing anything loose from Sammy. By the end of the Powerplay, India had recovered brilliantly.
Powerplay Score: India 58/1.
Kohli: 32* (18). Deva: 20* (12).
As the fielding restrictions eased, the West Indies spread the field. The asking rate was hovering around 9.5. This was the phase where run-chases usually faltered, bogged down by spin and defensive fielding.
But Virat Kohli was operating in a different dimension tonight. He wasn't just batting; he was conducting a symphony. He found gaps with absurd ease, turning good balls into ones and twos, and punishing the bad ones with ruthless efficiency.
Deva, realizing that Kohli was striking the ball cleaner than he was, adopted a tactical approach. He fed Kohli the strike.
Over 9.4: Samuel Badree to Kohli
Badree bowled a flat slider. Kohli rocked back and punched it through the covers.
[Commentary - Sunil Gavaskar]:"He finds the gap again! You cannot set a field for Virat Kohli when he is in this mood. He is piercing the infield like a needle through silk!"(FOUR)
Over 11.2: Kieron Pollard to Deva
Pollard tried to bowl his deceptive slower balls. Deva waited an eternity and swatted it over deep square leg.
[Commentary - Ian Bishop]:"A massive strike from Siddanth Deva! He waited for the slower ball and dispatched it into the night sky! The partnership is looking extremely ominous for the West Indies!"(SIX)
Kohli brought up his half-century off just 28 balls, raising his bat with a fierce, aggressive roar that echoed across the stadium. The 100-run partnership between the two young Indian stalwarts came up in the 12th over.
Over 14: Sunil Narine Returns
Sammy brought his trump card back to break the stand.
13.1: Deva on strike. He read the carrom ball perfectly, sweeping it hard for a boundary.
13.5: Deva stepped out, looking to launch Narine over long-off. He didn't get to the pitch of the ball. It spun away just enough to take the outer half of the bat.
The ball soared high into the air towards deep cover. Dwayne Bravo settled under it, his eyes glued to the white sphere. He took it safely, breaking into a celebratory dance.
[Commentary - Harsha Bhogle]:"Taken in the deep! Bravo takes the catch, and Narine finally breaks this magnificent partnership! Siddanth Deva falls for a very well-made 52 off 32 balls. He played the perfect supporting role today, but the West Indies have a glimmer of hope! India 130/2!"
WICKET (Siddanth Deva 52).
Deva walked off, frustrated but knowing he had done his job. He crossed paths with Yuvraj Singh.
Score: 130/2.
Equation: 63 runs needed off 37 balls.
Required Rate: 10.21.
Yuvraj Singh, the hero of 2007 and 2011, walked in. But tonight wasn't about nostalgia; it was about the man at the other end. Virat Kohli was on 68* and he looked completely possessed by the chase.
Over 16: Ravi Rampaul to Virat Kohli
Rampaul tried to bowl wide yorkers to restrict Kohli.
15.2: Kohli stepped across his stumps, opening up the off-side, and drove it inside-out over extra cover.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"Unbelievable! He makes room and lofts a 140 kmph delivery over extra cover for a one-bounce four! He is playing with the bowler's mind!"(FOUR)
15.5: Rampaul bowled short. Kohli swiveled and pulled it ferociously in front of square.
[Commentary - Ian Bishop]:"Cracked away! Virat Kohli is putting on an absolute masterclass in run-chasing! That brings up the 150 for India! The required rate is tumbling down!"(FOUR)
Yuvraj played a sensible cameo, rotating the strike and hitting one massive six off Marlon Samuels to relieve the pressure. He scored 18* off 12 balls, ensuring Kohli faced the bulk of the deliveries.
Over 18: Dwayne Bravo to Virat Kohli
Equation: 21 runs needed off 18 balls.
Kohli was on 88.
17.1: Bravo bowled a slower dipping yorker. Kohli whipped his wrists with frightening speed, sending the ball rocketing to the deep mid-wicket boundary.
[Commentary - Sunil Gavaskar]:"The bottom hand comes into play! What incredible wristwork! He flicks a yorker for four! He moves to 92!"(FOUR)
17.2: Bravo bowled wide outside off. Kohli reached but missed. Dot.
17.3: Bravo missed his length, bowling a half-volley on leg stump. Kohli didn't miss. He picked it up and deposited it rows back into the stands over square leg.
[Commentary - Harsha Bhogle]:"SIX! Glorious strike! And he moves to 98! He is single-handedly dismantling this total!"(SIX)
17.4: Kohli tapped the ball to point for a quick single. (1 Run - Kohli 99).
17.5: Yuvraj drove firmly to long-off to rotate the strike back to the set batsman. (1 Run).
17.6: Kohli on 99. Bravo angled it into the pads. Kohli gently nudged it behind square on the leg side and jogged across for the single.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"THERE IT IS! A MAGNIFICENT CENTURY FOR VIRAT KOHLI! A HUNDRED IN A WORLD CUP SEMI-FINAL CHASE! He takes his helmet off, he bows to the crowd, he lets out a mighty roar! He has conquered Colombo tonight! What a spectacular innings from the Chase Master!"
Kohli leaped into the air, punching his fist in pure, unadulterated ecstasy. He pointed to his bat, then to the Indian dressing room where Siddanth Deva and MS Dhoni were giving him a standing ovation.
Inside the dressing room, the suffocating tension finally snapped. MS Dhoni, who rarely showed more than a polite clap, was on his feet, beaming with a wide, genuine smile.
Siddanth Deva let out a piercing whistle, leaning dangerously over the balcony railing. "That's how you do it, Cheeku!" he roared over the deafening crowd noise. The rest of them were jumping and banging the glass partition.
They knew the magnitude of what Kohli had just achieved; he hadn't just scored a century, he had slain the ghosts of chasing in a knockout match. Deva turned to Dhoni, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Told you, Skipper. He just needed the stage." Dhoni nodded, his eyes locked on the roaring batsman.
Over 19: Fidel Edwards
Equation: 8 runs needed off 12 balls. Kohli retained the strike.
18.1: Edwards bowled a fast, full delivery outside off. Kohli leaned into it. The head perfectly still. The front foot strode forward. The bat came down in a flawless, sweeping arc. The ball pierced the gap between cover and mid-off.
[Commentary - Ian Bishop]:"Glorious cover drive! It races to the boundary! Just four needed now!"(FOUR)
18.2: Kohli pushed a single to long-on. (1 Run).
18.3: Yuvraj clipped it to deep square leg. (1 Run).
18.4: Edwards bowled a short ball. Kohli pulled it violently through mid-wicket for another boundary, sealing the match with an exclamation point.
[Commentary - Ian Bishop]:"AND THAT IS IT! Virat Kohli finishes it in style! India storms into the Final of the World T20! They have chased down 192 with 8 balls to spare! An absolutely breathtaking performance by India, led by an innings of the highest pedigree from Virat Kohli! The Invincibles march on!"(FOUR)
Final Score: India 195/2 (18.4 Overs).
Virat Kohli: 109* (59 balls).
Siddanth Deva: 52 (32 balls).
Yuvraj Singh: 18* (12 balls).
Rohit Sharma: 0 (6 balls).
Extras: 16.
The R. Premadasa Stadium was a sea of jubilant blue. The Indian team ran onto the field, mobbing Kohli. Siddanth Deva was the first to reach him, wrapping him in a massive bear hug.
"I told you!" Deva shouted over the noise. "God Mode! You were untouchable today, Cheeku!"
"We built it together!" Kohli screamed back, his eyes wild with adrenaline and joy. "One more! One more to go!"
The digital world was already crowning the new king of chases.
@Sachin_RT: "What a phenomenal run chase! To chase 192 in a semi-final requires immense character. Virat Kohli, that was an innings of sheer class. Pure joy to watch. 🇮🇳👏"
@HarshaBhogle: "We always knew Virat Kohli had the talent, but tonight he showed he has the temperament of a true great. Deva set the tempo, Kohli finished the symphony. Sri Lanka, be very afraid. 👑"
@Deva_FanClub: "Deva 2 wickets + 52 runs. Kohli 109*. When they are hunting together, nobody can stop them! Bring on the final! 🐺🔥"
Post-Match Presentation:
Ravi Shastri stood on the podium, his voice booming. "A semi-final that lived up to every expectation! West Indies put up a mountain, but India climbed it with ease. I have the Man of the Match with me... for an unbeaten, spectacular 109... Virat Kohli!"
Kohli jogged up, looking exhausted but glowing with pride.
Shastri: "Virat, 193 to win in a semi-final. You lost Rohit in the first over. Tell us about the pressure."
Kohli: "Thank you, Ravi bhai. Honestly, when Rohit got out, the pressure was massive. But when Sid walked in, we just had a chat. Sid took the pressure off by attacking early, which allowed me to settle into my rhythm. Once I got my eye in, the pitch was beautiful to bat on."
Shastri: "You played some incredible traditional cricket shots today in a T20 game. The cover drives were a treat to watch."
Kohli: "I believe if you back your technique and find the gaps, you don't always need to slog. The outfield was fast, so timing was key. I'm just thrilled I could take the team over the line in such a big game."
Shastri: "You are in the Final now. Sri Lanka awaits. Your thoughts?"
Kohli: "We are taking it one game at a time. Sri Lanka is a dangerous side at home, but we are playing with great belief. We haven't lost a game yet, and we don't plan on starting on Sunday."
As the broadcast concluded, the camera panned to the Indian dugout. Deva and Dhoni were already deep in conversation, their eyes scanning the stadium, their minds already shifting focus to the grand finale.
The Caribbean storm had been weathered. Now, only the host nation stood between India and total world domination. The King had painted his canvas; it was time for the final masterpiece.