In a must-win encounter against Sri Lanka, on Tuesday in Dubai, India skipper Rohit Sharma led India’s batting from the front after losing opening partner KL Rahul and number 3 batter Virat Kohli early in the innings.
Coming on the back of scores of 12, 21 and 28 in the last three matches in this tournament, Asia Cup 2022, Rohit Sharma went big this time and also hard, sticking to his template of aggressive batting no matter what.
Rohit Sharma played a captain’s knock
The Indian skipper finished with a score of 72 runs from 41 balls, clattering 5 fours and 4 stylish sixes. Rohit Sharma’s strike rate of 175 for such a longish knock – a little more than one-third of the entire innings – is the perfect example for his teammates to follow: the batters will have to buy in completely into the newly adopted gung-ho approach which Rohit has endorsed in his captaincy tenure, and he’s showed with example today.
Maheesh Theekshana had KL Rahul lbw in the second over, and in the third, Kohli was bowled by Dilshan Madushanka. This didn’t faze Rohit’s mindset nor deter his intent as he smashed a six and three fours in the next three overs.
After the powerplay then Rohit toned down a bit to let Suryakumar Yadav play his shots. The Indian skipper then pounced on Asitha Fernando for a first-ball six in the 10th over and then thumped him for a four to bring up his fifty.
Sharma then tore into Hasaranga in the 12th over, walloping the spinner for two sixes and a four, before Chamika Karunaratne dismissed the opener, caught at sweeper cover. Rohit walked back to a standing ovation from the crowd and was received with the same from the Indian players.
Mohammad Kaif gives a nice nickname to Rohit Sharma
Amid the adulation he got on Twitter for his brilliant, under high-pressure half-century, former India batsman Mohammad Kaif came up with a special name for him: “Crisis manager”
Here, check out Kaif’s tweet:
Captain the Crisis manager.. @ImRo45
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) September 6, 2022
