ICC ODI World Cup 2023 India vs Sri Lanka Talking Points: Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami star as Men in Blue qualify for semifinals

First Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli starred with the bat before it was the Mohammed Shami show in the evening,

India annihilated Sri Lanka by 302 runs in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday to qualify for the semifinals of the tournament.

Half centuries from Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer took India to an imposing score of 357-8 in 50 overs. If the spectators felt they had got their money's worth already, they were in for a treat in the evening as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami ran through the Sri Lanka batting order, skittling them out for 55 runs in 19.4 overs and help the Men in Blue qualify for the final four stage of the tournament.

Here are the talking points from the game:

Kohli-Gill stand makes Sri Lanka sweat in Mumbai heat

Sri Lanka got off to the ideal start with the ball in the afternoon, removing India's captain Rohit Sharma for four. But that was to be their last bit of joy for a few hours.

Virat Kohli joined Shubman Gill in the middle and the duo pounded the Sri Lankan bowling attack to all parts of the Wankhede Stadium, putting on 189 runs for the second wicket.

Gill fell for a run-a-ball 92 while Kohli fell for a 94-ball 88 and their stand had laid the foundation for India to get to a big score after 50 overs.

Madhushanka shines with the ball again

Sri Lanka have been ravaged by injuries to many key bowlers in the lead-up to the World Cup and during the tournament. Amidst all the trouble though, Dilshan Madhushanka has stood up and delivered for the side.

That was the case on Thursday, as well, as the left-arm seamer claimed figures of 5 for 80 in 10 overs to emerge as the bowling star for his side.

Iyer comes good, at long last

India's batting has delivered in almost all the games, but the one batter who had not set the ODI World Cup ablaze until Thursday was Shreyas Iyer, whose lack of runs had made some question his place in the playing XI.

On Thursday, Iyer walked in to bat with a platform set for him and in placid batting conditions came good on his home ground, making 82 runs off 56 balls with three fours and six sixes. It was a knock the batter needed ahead of the key clash against South Africa on Sunday.

Shami enters the record books

Mohammed Shami was ignored for the first four games of India's 2023 ODI World Cup campaign. An injury to Hardik Pandya in the game against Bangladesh at Pune meant he had to be drafted into the side in the fifth game.

The Gujarat Titans pacer has now ensured he is undroppable after yet another sensational showing with the ball on Thursday, claiming figures of 5-18 in five overs and becoming India's leading wicket-taker in ODI World Cup history.

Siraj returns to haunt Sri Lanka again

The last time India played Sri Lanka in an ODI, Mohammed Siraj produced a spell for the ages to claim figures of 6 for 21 and derail the Lankan batting line-up to 50 all out.

It seemed like the Sri Lankan batters were put on a time machine on Thursday, back to the day of the Asia Cup final as Siraj ran through the top-order once again, removing Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne and Sadeera Samarwickrama for ducks to break the backbone of the Sri Lankan batting line-up. He eventually ended up with figures of 3 for 16 in seven overs.