The build-up to the T20 World Cup has been far from ideal for Captain Rohit Sharma. Returning to the T20I fold for the first time since the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, Rohit had a nightmarish outing, falling to two straight ducks.
In the third T20 International against Afghanistan at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru, January 17, 2024, the skipper finally opened his account.
On the very first delivery of the match, the ball took a thick edge down the leg side, but Umpire Jitender Sharma ruled it as leg byes. The fifth ball went for a boundary. The delivery found a thick edge off the thigh pad, but made no contact with the bat.
Following the first over, Rohit found himself to be still on zero off five balls.
Rohit was heard telling Umpire Sharma, 'Arrey Viru, pehle wala thigh pad diya tha kya? Itna bada bat laga hain. Ek toh idhar do zero ho gaya hain (Virender, was the first four given as leg byes? I already have two ducks in this series).'
Rohit finally opened his account in the second over with a single off Azmatullah Omarzai and went on to score a century after the hosts got off to a rocky start.
'Rohit would like to score runs'
Axar Patel leads Indian charge in ICC T20I rankings
Umpiring equality: Sue Redfern makes history
Shamar Joseph: Remember The Name!
Salute Our Soldiers, Says Shami