Broad base: On India and the ICC T20 World Cup win

India revealed depth (गहराई, व्यापकता) in batting and fielding in cricket’s shortest format

India lived up to its billing of being the number one side in Twenty20 Internationals (T20I). The Men in Blue retained the ICC T20 World Cup with an emphatic (जोरदार, स्पष्ट और निर्णायक) 96-run triumph (विजय, शानदार जीत) over New Zealand in the final at Ahmedabad on Sunday. Often in global sporting tournaments, the more fancied athlete or squad (दल, टीम) may fail at times (कभी-कभी) as the law of averages (औसत का नियम, संभाव्यता का सिद्धांत) catches up; (बराबरी करना, पीछे से आकर बराबर पहुँच जाना) it is to the credit (श्रेय, प्रशंसा) of Suryakumar Yadav’s men that they remained consistent and lasted the distance. Having won the title in 2024 under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, this Indian unit has evolved (विकसित होना) further. There has been a change in personnel (कार्मिक, कर्मचारी) too, as Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja retired from cricket’s shortest format. Their massive shoes were filled, and with coach Gautam Gambhir propagating (फैलाना, प्रसारित करना) a high-risk (अत्यधिक जोखिम भरा), high-yield philosophy, the players followed their mentor’s (coach, adviser, instructor, guide) approach and prospered (सफल होना, फलना-फूलना). Including the summit clash (the final, decisive match of a major championship or tournament determining the ultimate winner; grand finale, final match, title decider, championship game), India went past 250 thrice in the championship. The think-tank (a specialized group of experts or team management providing advice, strategies, and tactical ideas; strategy group, expert panel, advisory committee) was also flexible as an initial top-order (opening batters, top batsmen, top lineup) vulnerability (weakness, susceptibility, fragility, defenselessness) was addressed (tackle, deal with, handle, sort out) in time. With three left-handers atop (positioned at the very top of a (batting) order; on top of) the batting tree (batting lineup, batting order, batting hierarchy, batting structure), the Indians found rival (competing, opposing, contesting, contending) captains employing (use, utilize, implement) off-spinners to counter (oppose, resist, attack, fight, thwart) the batters. Abhishek Sharma losing form also proved to be a complication but by picking the right-handed Sanju Samson as opener, balance (equilibrium, stability, parity, proportion) was found.

Great teams find ways to (discover effective methods, figure out, resolve, manage) cope with challenges, and India, even after losing a Super Eight game to South Africa, stayed afloat. The management persisted (continue, persevere, endure, remain) with Abhishek and he scored two fifties in the campaign (tournament run, series), with the one in the final being vital. Samson, though, was a revelation (a surprising and previously unknown fact or a completely unexpected display of immense talent; discovery, pleasant surprise, breakthrough, unearthing). Always rated high, at varying points in his career he was competing with M.S. Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant for the wicket-keeper batter role. With 321 runs in this championship and three consecutive (successive, continuous, sequential, uninterrupted) 50-plus scores in the last stretch (period, spell, phase, stint) for India, the ‘Player of the Tournament’ ensured that the host (the sovereign nation that holds and facilitates a major sporting event; organizer, venue provider, presenter) fulfilled expectations. If Samson led India’s batting charts (ranking, list, table, index), the incisive (highly accurate, sharply focused, and aggressively effective in a competitive environment; penetrating, sharp, acute, piercing) Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Varun Chakaravarthy finished with 14 wickets apiece (each, individually, respectively, separately) and held the top spot in this World Cup. Bumrah was terrific while Varun found it rough towards the business end (the most crucial, demanding, or decisive final phase of a tournament or campaign; crucial stage, decisive phase, closing stages, critical point) of the campaign as batters turned aggressive against him. India found heroes at critical points, be it Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube or Axar Patel. Among the rest, New Zealand proved why it remains one of the most resilient (tough, strong, hardy, steadfast) teams, sailing into (progress effortlessly, move smoothly, advance easily, glide into) another final before running into India. That outfits (team, squad, unit, group) such as Nepal had their moments is also a pointer (indicator, hint, tip, suggestion) to how T20Is are helping cricket broaden (expand, enlarge, widen, extend) its base (the fundamental core foundation or underlying depth of talent; foundation, bedrock, core, infrastructure).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.base (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आधार
English Meaning - foundation, bedrock, core, infrastructure; support, pedestal, groundwork.

2.depth (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गहराई, व्यापकता
English Meaning - comprehensiveness, abundance, profusion, strength in depth.

3.emphatic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - जोरदार, स्पष्ट और निर्णायक
English Meaning - decisive, undeniable, clear-cut, resounding.

4.triumph (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विजय, शानदार जीत
English Meaning - victory, win, success, conquest.

5.squad (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दल, टीम
English Meaning - team, lineup.

6.at times (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - कभी-कभी
English Meaning - sometimes, occasionally, now and then, periodically.

7.law of averages (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - औसत का नियम, संभाव्यता का सिद्धांत
English Meaning - the statistical principle that outcomes of a random event will eventually even out or balance over a long period; statistical balance, evening out, probability principle, balancing factor.

8.catch up (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - बराबरी करना, पीछे से आकर बराबर पहुँच जाना
English Meaning - equal, reach, match, overtake.

9.credit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - श्रेय, प्रशंसा
English Meaning - public acknowledgement or praise given for an achievement; praise, commendation, acclaim, recognition.

10.last the distance (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - अंत तक टिके रहना, अंत तक संघर्ष करना
English Meaning - to be able to endure a difficult or long competitive process until the very end; endure, persevere, survive, hold out.

11.evolve (verb)

Hindi Meaning - विकसित होना
English Meaning - develop, progress, advance, grow.

12.personnel (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कार्मिक, कर्मचारी
English Meaning - the people or individual members engaged in a specific team; staff, workforce, employees, members.

13.propagate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - फैलाना, प्रसारित करना
English Meaning - spread, promote, disseminate, advocate.

14.high-risk (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अत्यधिक जोखिम भरा
English Meaning - highly risky, perilous, dangerous.

15.prosper (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सफल होना, फलना-फूलना
English Meaning - succeed, flourish, thrive, advance.

16.broad (adjective)

English Meaning - extensive, comprehensive, wide-ranging, expansive.

17.live up to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - satisfy, fulfil, match, achieve.

18.billing (noun)

English Meaning - the way in which a team or entity is publicly advertised, described, or perceived beforehand; reputation, public image, promotion, portrayal.

19.fancied (adjective)

English Meaning - highly favored to win or heavily expected to succeed in a competitive sporting event; favoured, preferred, backed, expected.

20.fill one’s shoes (phrase)

English Meaning - to confidently take over someone else’s responsibilities and perform them to the same high standard; replace, succeed, take over, substitute.

21.high-yield (adjective)

English Meaning - highly rewarding, profitable, lucrative, gainful.

22.mentor (noun)

English Meaning - coach, adviser, instructor, guide.

23.summit clash (noun)

English Meaning - the final, decisive match of a major championship or tournament determining the ultimate winner; grand finale, final match, title decider, championship game.

24.go past (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - exceed, surpass, transcend.

25.think-tank (noun)

English Meaning - a specialized group of experts or team management providing advice, strategies, and tactical ideas; strategy group, expert panel, advisory committee.

26.top-order (noun)

English Meaning - opening batters, top batsmen, top lineup.

27.vulnerability (noun)

English Meaning - weakness, susceptibility, fragility, defenselessness.

28.address (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, deal with, handle, sort out.

29.in time (phrase)

English Meaning - promptly, early enough, punctually, beforehand.

30.atop (preposition)

English Meaning - positioned at the very top of a (batting) order; on top of.

31.batting tree (noun)

English Meaning - batting lineup, batting order, batting hierarchy, batting structure.

32.rival (adjective)

English Meaning - competing, opposing, contesting, contending.

33.employ (verb)

English Meaning - use, utilize, implement.

34.counter (verb)

English Meaning - oppose, resist, attack, fight, thwart.

35.balance (noun)

English Meaning - equilibrium, stability, parity, proportion.

36.find ways to (phrase)

English Meaning - discover effective methods, figure out, resolve, manage.

37.cope with (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - deal with, handle, manage, survive.

38.stay afloat (phrase)

English Meaning - to maintain one’s position or successfully survive in a difficult and highly competitive situation; survive, keep going, endure, remain competitive.

39.persist (verb)

English Meaning - continue, persevere, endure, remain.

40.campaign (noun)

English Meaning - tournament run, series.

41.revelation (noun)

English Meaning - a surprising and previously unknown fact or a completely unexpected display of immense talent; discovery, pleasant surprise, breakthrough, unearthing.

42.consecutive (adjective)

English Meaning - successive, continuous, sequential, uninterrupted.

43.stretch (noun)

English Meaning - period, spell, phase, stint.

44.host (noun)

English Meaning - the sovereign nation that holds and facilitates a major sporting event; organizer, venue provider, presenter.

45.chart (noun)

English Meaning - ranking, list, table, index.

46.incisive (adjective)

English Meaning - highly accurate, sharply focused, and aggressively effective in a competitive environment; penetrating, sharp, acute, piercing.

47.apiece (adverb)

English Meaning - each, individually, respectively, separately.

48.held past tense of hold (verb)

English Meaning - occupy, retain, maintain, command.

49.the business end (noun)

English Meaning - the most crucial, demanding, or decisive final phase of a tournament or campaign; crucial stage, decisive phase, closing stages, critical point.

50.resilient (adjective)

English Meaning - tough, strong, hardy, steadfast.

51.sail into (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - progress effortlessly, move smoothly, advance easily, glide into.

52.run into (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - encounter, meet, face, confront.

53.outfit (noun)

English Meaning - team, squad, unit, group.

54.pointer (noun)

English Meaning - indicator, hint, tip, suggestion.

55.broaden (verb)

English Meaning - expand, enlarge, widen, extend.