India seal spot in Champions Trophy knockouts with win over South Africa

Kohli's side avoided the embarrassment of an early exit as they survived the must-win encounter to advance from Group B in style.

Having dismissed South Africa for 191, two-time champions India cruised home with 12 overs to spare at The Oval.

On the decision to hand Bumrah the new ball, Kohli said, "All I said was go out there and express yourself".

India will now face Bangladesh in the second semi-final on June 15 while Group A topper England will face the victor of the final Group B fixture between Sri Lanka and Pakistan to be played at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on Monday.

Kohli's men will likely face Group A runners-up Bangladesh in Birmingham on Thursday as they bid to make the final for the fourth time. Right through the tournament, we didn't play our best cricket, so we don't deserve to be in the semifinal.

"The situation in front of us is very clear - we have to win the game, everything else is just irrelevant", he said. "It suits our game", said Kohli.

Instead, South Africa went on to press that choke button.

Granted, De Villiers has not quite looked like the ABD we all love and admire of late, but in this innings, the South Africa captain looked like that old De Villiers, timing the ball from the off and getting off to a fast start.

De Villiers, South Africa's one-day worldwide captain, will skipper the Proteas in three T20s against England in Southampton, Taunton and Cardiff starting on July 21.

"We normally don't bat that way". They knew they couldn't afford to bowl for wickets with two slips, so they went back to more of a defensive play and just tried to squeeze us and if a bowling unit does that, it's very hard to get away.

South Africa T20I squad for England series: AB de Villiers (c), Farhaan Behardien, Reeza Hendricks, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Mangaliso Mosehle, Wayne Parnell, Dane Paterson, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts.

Tahir's run out left JP Duminy stranded on 20 and in desperate need of early wickets, the Proteas got one in the sixth over of the reply as an aggressive Rohit edged Morkel behind. The pacers did a great job by bowling dot balls in the first 10 overs. And, Virat Kohli made no mistake in taking the bails off.

"It's disappointing, but credit to them", he added. The victor will meet England in the other last-four contest. Try and get the partnership going in, settle the partnership because the last thing you want to do is go wicket, wicket.