'Hitman' Scripts Comeback For The Ages

The M Chinnaswamy stadium was treated to the Hitman Show as the Indian skipper put up a scintillating show with the willow.

The Bengaluru crowd may have been disappointed to see Virat Kohli walk off for a duck, but they were treated to a brutal knock by Rohit Sharma.

Returning to the T20I set up for the first time since the 2022 T20 World Cup, Rohit got off to a disastrous start, registering two straight ducks in the first two games of the three-match series against Afghanistan.

Questions whether Rohit is good enough for the T20 World Cup in June were put to rest in style as Rohit brought up a sizzling hundred.

The hosts got off to a rocky start, struggling at 22/4. Rohit, whose desperation was clear at the beginning of the innings, went on to play an innings for the ages.

Not only did he hammer a sizzling ton, but he also registered his highest T20I score. Before this, his highest score in the shortest format was 118.

On Wednesday, Rohit made a mockery of the Afghanistan bowlers as he scored an unbeaten 121 off 69 balls.

From 22/4, Rohit along with Rinku Singh (69 not out) took India to a smashing 212/4. The pair posted an unbeaten stand of 190 off 95 for the fifth wicket. While the other Indian batters fell for single digit scores, Rohit and Rinku put up a dazzling show.

After struggling in the onset, Rohit targeted debutant Mohammad Saleem Safi and thereon, the fireworks lit up the Chinnaswamy stadium. The skipper, who was on 88 off 61, brought up his ton scoring 6-4-4 on the next three deliveries.

Rohit's knock was peppered with eleven boundaries and eight maximums. Scoring at a strike rate of 175.36, he played one of his most iconic knocks. In the last five overs of India's innings, Rohit and Rinku added 103.

Rohit, who struck his fifth T20I hundred, became the first Indian batter to score a hundred in 2024 -- a strong statement with the T20 World Cup set to be held in June.

Rohit Sharma now has the most hundreds in T20I history.