Virat Kohli is "playing for the right reasons" after his unbeaten 166 led India to a 317-run victory over Sri Lanka.

Kohli, India's former captain, has been in sparkling form in recent months. Since the start of the T20 World Cup in October, the 34-year-old has scored 706 runs across 12 white-ball matches (six T20Is, six ODIs).

It was his knock on Sunday at Greenfield International Stadium, combined with Shubman Gill's 116, that paved the way for India to wrap up a 3-0 series win.

Kohli's 166 not out came from 110 deliveries and included 21 boundaries, eight of which were sixes – the most maximums he has struck in a single innings across any format in international cricket.

He is now just three tons short of Sachin Tendulkar's tally of 49 ODI centuries, but Kohli is not interested in personal milestones.

"It is the by-product of the intent I have, my mindset is to help the team, and put the team in strong position," Kohli said after winning the Player of the Series and Player of the Match awards.

"I have played for the right reasons and that has helped. Ever since I came back from the break, I am feeling good and I don't have desperation to get to a milestone.

"I want to continue doing that and I'm content. I was happy to be batting out there and in that space I end up playing good cricket.

"I am in a nice space right now, it's just about being organic."

Mohammed Siraj was the pick of India's bowlers as Sri Lanka were reduced to 73 all out, taking 4-32, while Mohammed Shami took 2-20. 

"Shami has always been there for us with the new ball, but the way Siraj has come in and done with the new ball has been fantastic," Kohli added.

"He picks wickets in the powerplay, which was an issue in the past. It is a great sign for us heading into the World Cup."

Siraj said: "I was trying hard to pick up a five-for but you get only what is written in your destiny, however hard you try. My rhythm has been good for a long time."

India have enjoyed a dominant series, and captain Rohit Sharma had little to be displeased about.

"I thought it was a great series for us," he said. "We bowled pretty well, got wickets, got breakthroughs when we needed. Batters throughout the series were piling up those runs."

Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill inspired India with the bat before Mohammed Siraj dismantled Sri Lanka in a thumping 317-run victory.

India had already wrapped up the series heading into the third and final ODI at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

Yet they made sure of a whitewash with a stunning performance with both bat and ball, as Sri Lanka endured a dismal day, with Ashen Bandara and Jeffrey Vandersay having to be taken off on stretchers.

After captain Rohit Sharma fell for 42, Gill (116) and Kohli (166 not out) put on a second-wicket partnership of 131 to pave the way for victory.

Gill succumbed to Kasun Rajitha (2-81) in the 34th over, having plundered 16 boundaries, but Kohli stayed in place throughout India's innings, striking eight sixes and 13 fours in a sublime knock.

Support came from Shreyas Iyer (38) as India set Sri Lanka, who lost both Vandersay and Bandara after the pair collided with each other in the field, a target of 391.

With only nine wickets to play with, the odds were stacked against the tourists, and Sri Lanka's slim hopes were over when Siraj (4-32) ripped through their top order.

Nuwanidu Fernando (19) was their top scorer, with Kasun Rajitha remaining unbeaten on 13 as Mohammed Shami (2-20) and Kuldeep Yadav (2-16) finishied the job for India.

Kohli lets rip to close in on Tendulkar

It was a magnificent knock by Kohli, who scored 113 in the first ODI of the series and ended it on a high note.

Kohli, who was playing against Sri Lanka in an ODI for the 50th time, now has 46 hundreds in the 50-over format, three short of the tally of India great Sachin Tendulkar.

His unbeaten 166 came from 110 deliveries, while his eight sixes marked the most he has struck in a single innings across all formats of international cricket.

Record up for India

India have now won 96 ODIs against Sri Lanka.

That means they have set a new record for the number of wins against a single opponent, surpassing Australia's total of 95 victories against New Zealand.

Virat Kohli's 45th ODI century helped India to a comfortable 67-run victory over Sri Lanka at ACA Stadium on Tuesday.

Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, who scored a double century in India's previous ODI last year, were surprisingly dropped for the first of three one-day matches.

But India had few issues without them, as Kohli, Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma led them to an unassailable 373-7.

Gill and Rohit enjoyed a little luck, surviving lbw reviews, but went on to stage a fine opening stand of 143 to put the tourists firmly on the back foot right.

Dasun Shanaka (1-22) eventually accounted for Gill in the 20th over, and an inside edge saw Rohit snaffled by Dilshan Madushanka (1-43) not long after.

But then Kohli arrived to deliver his 73rd international century in all formats.

He, too, benefited from some fortune, dropped on 52 and 81, but Kohli was otherwise in irresistible form with 13 boundaries to eventually finish on 113 off just 87 balls, finally taken by Kasun Rajitha (3-88) when a big slog fell short.

Sri Lanka were always facing an uphill struggle as they moved into bat.

Pathum Nissanka's 72 off 80 was a decent opening effort, but they needed more.

Dhananjaya de Silva (47 off 40) injected some purpose before edging a Mohammed Shami delivery behind to Rahul, and Nissanka followed in the 31st over after slicing Umran Malik (3-57) to Axar Patel at midwicket.

Skipper Shanaka offered late resistance with a tremendous unbeaten 108, finishing with two boundaries, but it was far too late to change the outcome.

India have too much for Sri Lanka

One of the key differences here was India's brilliant efficiency with the bat. All but one of their nine batsmen recorded a strike rate of over 100, and five of those scored over 25 runs.

By contrast, only three Sri Lanka batters had such a strike rate, with Shanaka and De Silva the two to surpass 25.

A bad day for Sri Lanka's bowlers

Rajitha was the only Sri Lanka bowler to claim more than one wicket, and yet even his overs proved fairly expensive as he gave up 88 runs.

Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva (0-67) and Dunith Wellalage (0-65) also had particular difficulty at a ground that is, to be fair, known for being generous for scoring.

Ben Stokes believes Harry Brook can emulate Virat Kohli's all-format batting dominance after the England youngster again impressed in Pakistan.

Yorkshire batter Brook played a key role as England secured a first Test series victory in Pakistan in 22 years after a nail-biting 26-run victory in Multan on Monday.

The 23-year-old managed only nine runs in the first innings but responded with 109 in the second – the only century of the second Test – to help England to an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

That form comes as no surprise given Brook blasted 153 and 87 in Rawalpindi, with his red-ball international average sitting at an impressive 73.8 from his five innings.

Yet Stokes believes this is only the start for Brook, who he expects to shine across all formats of cricket as he compared the England batter to India great Kohli.

"After the summer he had last year, getting all the big-ups before he made his debut, to come here and put in that kind of performance again was just phenomenal," Stokes told Sky Sports.

"He's one of those rare players that you look across all formats and you can just see him being successful everywhere.

"It's a massive shout, but Virat Kohli is one of those guys where his technique is just so simple and works everywhere. The pressure that he puts back onto opposition is exactly what we're about."

Brook accumulated just 56 runs, averaging just 11.2 across six innings, as England lifted their second T20 World Cup in Australia.

The middle-order batter has impressed in the shortest format for England in his 20 outings, though, with the expectation he will slot into Jos Buttler's side for the 50-over Cricket World Cup in India in 2023.

Stokes does not foresee the pressure impacting the form of Brook, given the comfortable manner in which he stepped into the Test side.

"The expectation on his shoulders coming into this team, because of how good he's been for Yorkshire, was obviously huge," he said.

"But I think that just shows that kind of stuff doesn't really affect him. He's a player whose technique is suited to all three formats, he wants to always look to be putting pressure back onto the opposition, and he's won another game for England.

"[He made a] huge contribution last week, and the hundred he scored here was obviously massive for us in getting that big lead.

"He's a pretty simple lad to captain: he just gets about his business, loves his batting, wants to constantly improve, constantly work on it. He's a pretty easy bloke to have in your dressing room."

Jonny Bairstow's injury offered Brook the chance to take the number-five role for Stokes, with the England Test captain acknowledging he is fortunate to have a wealth of batting talent to call upon.

"We're very, very lucky with the way in which we can replace Jonny, to have Harry coming in, because those two, batting No.5, they both go about it in exactly the same way," he added.

"They bring so much to the team and obviously Harry playing the way he has done at the moment with Jonny not being in the team, unfortunately, it's the best thing you want.

"You want competition for places, you want a strong squad to be able to pick from, and you want those headaches when it comes to the final XI every week, rather than saying 'I'm not sure who we're going to pick, let's pick a name out of the hat.'

"We're definitely not in that situation, and we feel like we've got all bases covered at the moment."

Ishan Kishan credited a "perfect wicket and situation" after he smashed the fastest-ever ODI double century in India's 227-run win over Bangladesh on Saturday.

Bangladesh had already secured series victory by winning the first two ODIs, but Kishan's 210 off 131 deliveries helped India to save some face ahead of the teams' Test series later in December.

Kishan reached his double century off just 126 balls, beating Chris Gayle's previous record of a double ton off 138 balls against Zimbabwe during the 2015 World Cup.

Kishan and Virat Kohli combined for a huge second-wicket partnership of 290 as India set Bangladesh 410 to win, a target they fell well short of as they were bowled out for 182, mustering 28 runs fewer than Kishan did on his own.

Kishan was understandably delighted after the match, saying in the post-match presentations: "It was a perfect wicket and situation to bat on.

"I was just looking to watch the ball properly, and go with the flow. At this level, whenever you get the chance, you need to make the most out of it. I was just picking the ball and the bowlers, and things were going my way!"

India captain Rohit Sharma missed the third ODI after injuring his thumb during the second match, as KL Rahul stepped in to skipper the team.

Rahul praised Kishan's attacking mentality, and acknowledged the significance of the consolation victory as the teams look ahead to the Test series starting on December 14.

"It was brilliant to see how Virat and Ishan batted," Rahul declared. "The way Kishan started, he was looking aggressive from ball one.

"He got an opportunity and grabbed it with both hands. Getting a double hundred in ODIs isn't done often.

"There are a few injury concerns, but that gives opportunity to guys. We'll try and carry this confidence and momentum into the Tests."

Bangladesh captain Litton Das commended the innings of Kishan and Kohli, adding: "Ishan and Virat batted really well. Hats off to Ishan.

"We tried our best, but we didn't find any solution. If the score would have been 330, 340, it would have been a different ball game.

"They are a good side, and we played good cricket for two games."

Ishan Kishan smashed the fastest double century in ODI history as India secured a 227-run consolation triumph over Bangladesh in Chattogram on Saturday.

Bangladesh had already secured series victory by winning the first two ODIs, but India demolished them in the third meeting to restore some pride ahead of the teams' Test series later this month.

Kishan was the star man for India with his record innings, taking just 126 balls to hit 200 runs as he ultimately finished with 210 off 131 deliveries, smashing 10 sixes in an astonishing knock.

He formed a huge second-wicket partnership of 290 with Virat Kohli, who made his first ODI century since 2019 as he ended with an impressive 113 off 91 balls.

Washington Sundar (37) and Axar Patel (20) also made cameos as India finished on a massive total of 409-8.

Bangladesh's chase of their monster 410 target got off to a steady start, but the dismissals of openers Anamul Haque and Litton Das soon killed any momentum and the innings quickly derailed.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali both fell to leave Bangladesh 107-4, before the wickets started tumbling more rapidly as they lost five more batters to sit at nine down in the 30th over, with Shardul Thakur taking 3-30.

When Mustafizur Rahman (13) was bowled by Umran Malik, it meant India had ended the series with a thumping win.

Kishan's historic double century 

Kishan, replacing the injured captain Rohit Sharma, came into the match with a career-high ODI score of 93.

But he has now become just the ninth man to hit an ODI double ton, and in emphatic fashion too as he beat Chris Gayle's previous men's record of a double century off 138 balls against Zimbabwe in 2015.

At 24-years-old, he is also the youngest man to hit 200 in an ODI as his 24 fours in addition to the 10 maximums to help India set Bangladesh an insurmountable target.

Kishan finished with 28 more runs individually than India's opponents could muster in their disappointing chase.

Kohli an important sidekick to Kishan

The second-wicket partnership of Kohli and Kishan was the seventh-highest in men's ODI history and played an important part, considering Sundar was India's third-highest run scorer with just 37.

It was Kohli's 44th ton in the format and 72nd across all internationals, moving him above Ricky Ponting into second overall. Only compatriot Sachin Tendulkar has more with 100.

Alex Hales and Jos Buttler delivered an exceptional batting display as England cruised into the T20 World Cup final with a 10-wicket defeat of India.

Hales (86 not out) and Buttler (80 not out) put on a T20 World Cup record partnership of 170 on Thursday to claim an emphatic victory and tee up a showdown with Pakistan.

England elected to field first at the Adelaide Oval and had India tied up at 75-3 inside 11.2 overs, Adil Rashid (1-20) clinching the key wicket of in-form Suryakumar Yadav (14).

India dug deep as Virat Kohli, who had previously scored five centuries in Adelaide, became the first player to hit 4,000 T20I runs and Hardik Pandya exploded at the other end to guide them to 168-6.

Kohli was dismissed just after making 50, caught brilliantly by Rashid from the bowling of Chris Jordan, who took 3-43 on his return in Mark Wood's absence.

Hardik picked up the slack in the final few overs, with his wonderful 63 from 33 deliveries coming to an end when he stood on his own wickets from the last ball of the innings.

Yet any India momentum was swiftly halted as Buttler and Hales bludgeoned their way to 63 by the end of the powerplay.

Hales then found another gear, rattling to a 28-ball 50, and India had no answer to England's on-song openers.

Buttler, having smacked a huge six down the ground, was dropped by Yadav, with the ball trickling to the boundary to compound India's misery, and England had a place in the final secured with four overs to spare when their captain sent Mohammed Shami for six to wrap up an outstanding win.

Hales' comeback complete

It has been a long road back for Hales, who was banned after testing positive for a recreational drug in 2019. 

Having replaced the injured Jonny Bairstow for this tournament, Hales has been sensational in Australia and on Thursday turned in one of the all-time great performances to make up for lost time. He became the third England player, after Jos Butler, and Eoin Morgan, to register 2,000 T20I runs.

Buttler brilliance sets up MCG rematch

While Kohli and Hardik let loose late on, Buttler's captaincy must be lauded, with England having limited their opponents for much of their innings.

Buttler, now onto 19 T20I half-centuries, then delivered with the bat, fittingly finishing the job with a sublime shot.

After falling short in the semi-finals against New Zealand last year, England will face Pakistan in Melbourne, 30 years on from a World Cup final between the nations at the same venue.

Virat Kohli became the first batsman to reach 4,000 runs in the shortest format as he racked up a classy half-century in India's T20 World Cup semi-final against England.

The India star and former captain produced yet another important innings for his country as the tournament's leading run-scorer added 50 to his tally at the Adelaide Oval.

That took him to 296 at this World Cup and 4,008 in all T20Is, well ahead of nearest rival and India team-mate Rohit Sharma (3,853).

Kohli ran two to get his fourth 50 in this tournament but was then caught brilliantly by Adil Rashid next ball, with India posting 168-6 as Hardik Pandya plundered 63 off 33 deliveries.

India can be proud of their T20 World Cup run, regardless of the result against England in Thursday's semi-final, so says captain Rohit Sharma.

The two teams will battle it out on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval for the opportunity to take on Pakistan in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

India finished top of Group 2, and have key players in form heading into the clash with England, who claimed second place in Group 1 at Australia's expense.

In his first major tournament in charge, Rohit believes India must be satisfied with their progress, as they target a third appearance in a T20 World Cup final.

He said in a press conference: "For us as players, as a team, I think we can pride ourselves to be here at this point in time because we saw two of the quality teams which were knocked out, and anything can happen in this format.

"For us, I think to be here at this point in time, I think we can take a lot of credit and pride ourselves in where we have come."

Two of the key batters for India in this tournament have been Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. 

Former captain Kohli is 42 runs away from becoming the first batter to register 4,000 runs in men's T20I cricket and is the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 246 runs.

Meanwhile, Yadav impressed against Zimbabwe with his fearlessness and creative shot selection in a brilliant 61 not out off just 25 deliveries.

"He's the sort of guy who just doesn't carry any baggage with him," Rohit said of Yadav.

"You can see that when he plays. It's not like he's played a couple of tournaments like that. He's been playing like that for a year now, and it shows, and you can judge the kind of character he is, and he likes to play like that.

"He's shown great maturity, as well, has taken pressure from a lot of the guys the way he plays, and it rubs off on the other side, as well, when they bat around him."

Overcoming Yadav and Kohli will be crucial if England are to progress, but dismissing the pair could prove even more difficult should Mark Wood, who is an injury concern, be unable to play.

Chris Jordan could fill in, while Sam Curran has stepped up, having taken 10 wickets in the tournament and with one more the 24-year-old would become the most successful English bowler in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.

Captain Jos Buttler knows that in Yadav, England face one of the world's most dangerous players.

"I think he's someone who has probably been the batter of the tournament so far in terms of the way you want to watch someone go about it," he said.

"I think his biggest strength looks to be the amount of freedom he plays with. He's obviously got all the shots, but he allows himself to play all the shots, as well. He's got a very free mindset from what I can see.

"But as with any batsman in the world, it takes one chance to create a wicket. We desperately need to find a way to do that, and it would be remiss just to think about him. I think they have some other excellent players, as well."

England will be looking to overturn their poor form against India in recent fixtures, with just one win in their last five T20I meetings.

Virat Kohli "feels at home in Adelaide" after stepping up again to help India earn a crucial five-run win over Bangladesh at the T20 World Cup.

A 64 not out from the in-form Kohli in a rain-affected game at the Adelaide Oval pushed India to 184-6 after KL Rahul had got his side off to flier with a half-century off 32 deliveries 

It was a tense finish, with Litton Das' electric 60 off 27 giving Bangladesh a fighting chance, but the elements dented their momentum any they fell short of a revised 151 target.

India consequently went top of Group 2, and Kohli reflected on another job well done in a Player of the Match performance.

"I absolutely love playing in this ground. Right from the nets at the back, as soon as I enter, it makes me feel at home," he said.

"That knock at the MCG was meant to be, but when I come here, it's like I'm meant to come to Adelaide and enjoy my batting.

"As soon as I knew the World Cup was in Australia, I was grinning from ear to ear. I knew good cricketing shots would be the key. I knew the kind of experience and game awareness of having played in Australia will come in handy for the team."

Captain Rohit Sharma failed to deliver for his team, falling early and getting out for just two runs off eight deliveries. 

"I was calm and nervous at the same time," Sharma said. "But it was important to stay calm as a group to execute.

"Shortened games can go either way, but we held our nerves well after the game started; it was a good win in the end."

With three vital knocks in India's four matches so far, Kohli has been invaluable and proved doubters wrong after his form was questioned in the past 12 months after stepping down as captain. 

Sharma said: "In my mind, Kohli was always there. It was just a matter of a few innings here and there, and he hasn't looked back since the Asia Cup. The guy has so much experience.

"The way KL [Rahul] batted as well, it was important for him and the team. We know what sort of player he is at the top of the order.

"Some of the catches we took today were great to watch. When you're playing in front of a big crowd, it's not easy. To take those catches, it shows the character of the guys. I have no doubts over our fielding abilities."

Bangladesh could not get over the line despite giving India a tense end to the game, and their hopes of progressing rest on a final group stage game with Pakistan on Sunday. 

Tigers captain Shakib Al Hasan said: "It's been the story when we play India. We're almost there but don't cross the line. 

"It was a great game, the crowd enjoyed it, both teams enjoyed it; in the end, someone has to win and someone has to lose.

"Litton is batting really well, probably he's our best batsmen going around. We thought we could chase this down after the start. Our plan was to get India's top order quickly, that's why I bowled out Taskin, he's been our main bowler. Unfortunately he couldn't get the wickets today, he was unlucky, but it was a plan get India's top order out and dictate the game."

India will face Zimbabwe in the final Super 12 match of the tournament after Bangladesh play Pakistan in a potentially tournament-defining clash. 

Half-centuries for Virat Kohli and KL Rahul helped India move closer to the T20 World Cup semi-finals with a rain rain-affected five-run win over Bangladesh by DLS in Adelaide.

Kohli and Rahul scored 62 not out and 50 respectively to lead India to 184-6 in their Group 2 encounter.

A 44-ball stint saw Kohli demonstrate finesse and power as he struck eight fours and a six, becoming the highest run-scorer in Men's T20 World Cup history with 1,065.

Bangladesh's reply started superbly, a freewheeling half-century from opener Litton Das (60) seeing them race to 66 without loss before the weather forced both teams from the pitch.

When they returned, the Tigers were set a reduced target of 151 from 16 overs, but quickly lost Das to a run-out and then collapsed in a ruthless 11-ball spell between Arshdeep Singh (2-38) and Hardik Pandya (2-28).

Nurul Hasan's unbeaten 25 off 14 set up a tense finale, but India held their nerve to go top of the group with six points. South Africa can overhaul them, while Bangladesh and Pakistan can still catch them. However, that would require India losing their final match against Zimbabwe. Pakistan need to beat both South Africa and Bangaldesh, whose prospects are slim due to a negative net run rate, to have any chance.

Kohli further enshrines greatness

Kohli surpassed Mahela Jayawardene, whose prior record of 1,016 has stood since 2014, to take his place as the World Cup's all-time leading run scorer. In doing so, the India batsman has further underlined his status as a modern titan of the game.

This was his 13th half-century-plus score at the T20 World Cup too, with Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle the next nearest to him with nine 50-plus innings each.

Tigers cornered after blistering start

With defeat, Bangladesh's T20 World Cup campaign is almost certainly at a close, and they will be left to rue their poor restart after that rain break.

Das had been in ruthless form, setting the best individual total of the innings, but their subsequent batting failures meant his efforts were in vain.

Hardik Pandya and Shikhar Dhawan will captain India's T20I and ODI squads respectively on their November tour of New Zealand after Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul were rested.

Hardik will lead India when they begin their tour of New Zealand with the first of three T20Is in Wellington on November 18 – just five days after the T20 World Cup in Australia ends.

One week later, they begin a three-match one-day series at Eden Park in Auckland, in which Dhawan – who led India on a tour of the West Indies earlier this year – will take the captaincy.

Rohit, Kohli and Rahul will all miss the trip to New Zealand, but as many as eight other players currently in Australia for the World Cup will be in attendance.

Hardik, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh have all been selected for the T20I series, with Pant named vice-captain for the entire tour.

There was no place in either squad for Jasprit Bumrah or Ravindra Jadeja, however, after the duo were forced to miss the World Cup through injury.

Virat Kohli has hit out at an "appalling" invasion of privacy after an intruder posted a video taken from inside the former India captain's hotel room on social media.

In a video reportedly taken on October 8, two days after India arrived in Perth for a preparatory camp ahead of the T20 World Cup, an anonymous social media user filmed himself walking around Kohli's room.

Kohli made details of the video, captioned "King Kohli's hotel room", public after India's final match in Perth against South Africa, saying the intrusion had made him "paranoid". 

"I understand that fans get very happy and excited seeing their favourite players and get excited to meet them, and I've always appreciated that," Kohli wrote on Instagram.

"But this video here is appalling and it's made me feel very paranoid about my privacy. If I cannot have privacy in my own hotel room, then where can I really expect any personal space at all?

"I'm not okay with this kind of fanaticism and absolute invasion of privacy. Please respect people's privacy and not treat them as a commodity for entertainment."

Crown Resorts, which manages the hotel, subsequently apologised for the incident and said the contractors involved had been stood down from their duties.

Australia batsman David Warner replied to Kohli's post to lament the incident as "ridiculous" and "totally unacceptable", while the International Cricket Council said it was "incredibly disappointed by the gross invasion of privacy".

India captain Rohit Sharma was left frustrated by his team's erratic fielding after Sunday's five-wicket defeat to South Africa.

Aiden Markram's 52 and David Miller's unbeaten 59 guided the Proteas to victory at Perth Stadium in a thrilling, but low-scoring, T20 World Cup clash.

South Africa's bowling attack – spearheaded by pace duo Wayne Parnell (3-15) and Lungi Ngidi (4-29) – reduced India to 133-9 in their 20 overs, with Suryakumar Yadav (68) the only batsman to offer any firm resistance.

Yet India had hope when Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw and Temba Bavuma all fell in the first six overs of South Africa's chase. Miller and Markram subsequently steadied the ship for the Proteas, yet the latter was fortunate.

Rohit and Suryakumar both missed run-out attempts, while Markram was dropped by Kohli in the deep. Indeed, he brought up his half-century with a sliced shot that landed between two fielders on the boundary.

It was a collective effort that disappointed Rohit, who said: "I thought we fought well until the end, but South Africa played well. The pitch is such that the wicket can come any time for the seamers. It was a match-winning partnership from Miller and Markram.

"But we were not good enough on the field. We have played in such conditions, so conditions are not an excuse. We want to be consistent in that department.

"We could not hold on to our chances, we missed a few run-outs, including myself."

The victory moved South Africa top of Group 2, with the Proteas having taken five points from their opening three matches.

However, while Markram and Miller starred with the bat and Parnell and Ngidi were brilliant with the ball, it was another tough day for captain Bavuma, who scored only 10 before edging Mohammed Shami to Dinesh Karthik.

Bavuma has struggled for form in T20Is this year, with Sunday's short-lived knock only the third time he has reached double figures from 10 innings.

Former Proteas captain Markram, however, had words of support for his skipper.

"I think every player goes through these sort of form slumps," Markram said in a press conference when asked about Bavuma's struggles. "With games that are so close to each other, it can seem a lot worse than what it is.

"I think the whole team, management involved, have been there for Temba and our ideas don't change about his ability. We all know his ability and our team and the role that he plays, not just from batting, but also from a leadership point of view as well.

"His leadership in my opinion has been excellent. On-field decisions have been really good that he's making. So I've got no doubt he'll come right with the bat. If he does, and we can get off to some good starts, I think it's going to help our batting unit a lot, but certainly not doubting his ability at all.

"I think the whole team, and I can speak on behalf of the team, we all support him. It happens to everyone. We've all been through it. I've been through it more than once, unfortunately. It's always just one knock away, and that's sort of the message that Temba has been given for the time being."

South Africa possess the bowling variety that can bring down India in Perth, according to in-form paceman Anrich Nortje.

Sunday's tussle will be the third game for both teams at the T20 World Cup, and neither has lost so far.

India posted wins over Pakistan and Netherlands, while South Africa had an abandonment against Zimbabwe before a crushing victory against Bangladesh.

Nortje took 4-10 in that hammering of the Tigers, his best bowling performance in a T20I, after a brilliant century from Rilee Rossouw.

Bangladesh were rolled over for 101, and Nortje believes such a skittling is a reflection of the quality within the Proteas ranks.

Now a Perth Stadium battle awaits with India, whose strong start has seen them earmarked by many as trophy favourites.

Nortje said: "We back ourselves. We see ourselves as one of the best pace attacks there is.

"We've got a great variety. We cover a lot of aspects. We cover a lot of bases with our attack. So definitely as a pace attack, we definitely back ourselves against any team to go out and do what we have to do on the day, to try and get over the line.

"Then we've got two gun spinners [Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi] as well. I'm sure the boys are looking forward to tomorrow.

"But yes, something you work your life towards is to bowl fast, to be able to bowl fast and be one of the fastest. It's a nice feeling, but I just have to focus on the job ahead and what we have to do rather than looking at the speed."

India's Virat Kohli is just 28 runs short of becoming the record run-scorer in T20 World Cup history, with Sri Lanka great Mahela Jayawardene (1,016 runs) presently top of that list.

South Africa will hope to keep the shackles on Kohli, who has been in dazzling form with a sublime 82 not out and an unbeaten 62 in his two knocks, and Nortje says he and his team-mates know their responsibilities.

"Everyone knows what to do on the day, and it's a factor that we've been playing for such a long time and guys have been gelling really well," Nortje said.

"We feel the last two seasons it's been a great team, and hopefully we can win the cup."