The route to the World Cup was littered with obstacles and hazards. Fortunately for India, every time it faced a crunch situation, a player stood up and produced a match-winning performanceGo Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!SURYAKUMAR YADAV vs US (84 n.o off 49 balls): India were reeling at 77/6 in the opening match and there was real concern that the US would pull off a massive upset before the skipper stepped in to steady the ship. Dropped on 17 off 15 balls, Surya smashed 48 off the last 18 balls he faced — including 21 off the last over — to haul India to 161/9, and a comfortable 29-run victoryISHAN KISHAN vs Pak (77 off 40 balls): In a match in which every batter struggled to raise the tempo, Kishan batted as though he was playing on another pitch. His explosive knock propelled India to 88/1 in 8.3 overs before he was dismissed. India slowed dramatically thereafter, but the momentum given by Kishan meant they still reached 175/7 — more than enough as Pak crumbled to 114 all outTILAK VARMA (44 n.o off 16 balls vs Zimbabwe): Smarting from a 76-run hammering by South Africa, India rejigged their batting order and came out all guns firing. Every batter scored at a strike rate of over 150, but Varma provided the icing on the cake, taking to his new role of finisher with gusto as India galloped to 256/4, their highest score in T20 World CupsSANJU SAMSON (97 n.o off 50 balls vs West Indies): In a virtual quarterfinal, Samson played an unforgettable innings, displaying composure and silken strokemaking to guide India to their highest run chase ever in a T20 WC gameAXAR PATEL vs England: Samson played another blinder (89 off 42) in the semis and Bumrah (1/33) produced a T20 bowling masterclass. But the biggest impact arguably came from the vice-captain, who bowled Tom Banton, took two catches — including a superb dismissal of English skipper Harry Brook — and produced a moment of sheer genius, racing to grab the ball, then flipping it to Shivam Dube as he hurtled over the ropes, to get rid of Will Jacks.
