Rohit Sharma has been walking the talk about aggression and elite intent level as an opener in the powerplay, be it in ODI cricket during the World Cup 2023 and he’s continued in the T20 format in the ongoing IPL 2024.
On Sunday evening, on a dry-ish surface at the Wankhede, with the sun baking down the pitch, Rohit Sharma hammered 6 fours and 3 sixes against a potent Delhi Capitals’ bowling attack to race to 49 runs in only 23 balls in the powerplay. Courtesy of Sharma’s blast up top, Mumbai posted a strong total of 75/0 in the first six overs, getting a positive head start for the rest of the innings.
That this knock from Rohit came only a day after Virat Kohli’s match-losing innings – a century that is the joint-slowest in IPL history – became a talking point among fans and experts.
On Saturday night, Kohli scored a 67-ball century – joint-slowest in IPL alongside Manish Pandey’s effort back in 2009, when people were still coming to the grasp and demands of T20 cricket. Kohli’s century could take RCB to 183, which RR chased down comfortably. Jos Buttler clobbered a 58-ball century and that, in essence, highlighted why Kohli needs to be more aggressive when batting first in T20 cricket.
Virat Kohli can take a leaf out of the handbook of Rohit Sharma when batting first in T20
Rohit came all guns blazing against Delhi Capitals and took down all the bowlers that came in front of him. And this wasn’t a one-off. Rohit has been in an ultra-aggressive mode in the powerplay this season. Against SRH, he smashed 26 runs in only 12 balls, and against GT, he cracked 24 runs in 16 balls in the powerplay.
With the T20 World Cup around the corner, Indian fans would be hoping that Kohli can take his tempo and T20 aggression a couple of notches higher.
Also Read: VIDEO – 18,000 Kids Chant “Rohit…Rohit” When Hardik Pandya Came For The Toss
