Watch: W, W, W, W! Virat, Rohit, Rahul and Hardik fall prey to Lungi Ngidi in T20 World Cup

South Africa pacer Lungi Ngidi was at his lethal best of Sunday as the 26-year-old turned out to be an unexpected star among Proteas pacers with four wickets in three overs to wipe out India’s star-studded top-order during T20 World Cup Super 12 match in Peth. He took the wickets of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya in space of 14 balls to leave the Men in Blue in deep trouble at 49/5 by the ninth over.

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Lungi Ngidi’s spell came after Indian skipper Rohit Sharma (15) opted to bat first after winning the toss on an Optus Stadium’s surface that assisted pace bowling. Rohit and Rahul provided a steady start to India in the first four overs as 21 runs came off it, including two towering sixes.

All that changed fifth over onwards when Ngidi was introduced into the attack. He banged it in short of his second ball as Sharma found himself backing away from a pull shot as the extra bounce hit the upper part of the captain’s bat for a comfortable caught and bowled for the pacer.

Three balls later, Ngidi made a lightwork of KL Rahul (9) as a back-of-a-length delivery outside the off stump was edged straight to Aiden Markram at slip. Rahul’s commitment to the shot suggested he was trying to nudge it to the third man but the extra bounce generated yet again did the damage.

Despite the twin successes, Ngidi wasn’t expected to get the better of an in-form Virat Kohli, who came to the game at the back of two half centuries and already took Ngidi to the cleaners with two boundaries. However, the pacer had the last laugh as the pacer returned to a short delivery again which Virat Kohli (12 runs off 11 balls) tried to shuffle across on the pull but the top edge of his bat was caught by Kagiso Rabada at long leg.