Drama unfolds in Indian dressing room after Virat Kohli's fielder of the match medal goes missing

India have reached the semifinals of the ICC event and will play Australia in the semifinal in Dubai on Tuesday.

The Indian cricket team assembled in their dressing room for the 'Fielder of the Match' medal presentation – a tradition started during the 2023 ODI World Cup, following their T20 World Cup victory in Barbados –  after beating New Zealand in their final group game in Dubai on Sunday. 

As has been the custom of the Indian cricket team, there were three contenders. In the video posted by the BCCI on its website on Monday, Axar Patel, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer were named by India's fielding coach T Dilip as three contenders. 

And it was Kohli  who won the fielder of the match medal. The Indian fielding coach asked  Udenka Nuwan Senevirathne, India's throwdown specialist, to present the medal to Kohli. However, at this moment, the medal went missing. 

Axar, who was among the contenders for his top efforts, said  "Medal hi nehi hai. Kaha hai? (The medal isn't there. Where is it?)"

Dilip suspected Mohammed Shami of hiding the medal, but he denied it. 

Axar, who was seated with a kneecap on his leg, laughed and returned the medal and handed it over to Nuwan who finally presented it to Kohli for his efforts in the game against New Zealand.

Watch the full video here

Meanwhile, India have reached the semifinals of the ICC event and play Australia in the semifinal in Dubai on Tuesday. 

It is not going to be an easy ride for the men in blue as the Aussies are a resilient beast in global tournaments. The last time India triumphed against Australia in the knockout stage of an ICC event was way back in the 2011 World Cup quarterfinal. India lost to Australia in the semifinals of the 2015 ODI World Cup and in the title clash of the 2023 ODI World Cup before succumbing to them in the World Test Championship final in 2023.

However, this Indian side will hope to rewrite that largely melancholic script over the last 14 years on Tuesday.