Rohit Roars Back with Record Ton as India Recover to Post 212/4!
Captain Rohit Sharma silenced his critics in emphatic fashion, blasting a record-breaking century to propel India to a respectable 212/4 in the third and final T20I against Afghanistan at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Wednesday.
Bengaluru: Captain Rohit Sharma silenced his critics in emphatic fashion, blasting a record-breaking century to propel India to a respectable 212/4 in the third and final T20I against Afghanistan at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Wednesday.
Following back-to-back ducks, Rohit unleashed his trademark aggression, smashing 121 runs off just 69 balls, peppering the Chinnaswamy boundaries with 11 fours and 8 sixes. His strike rate of 175.36 was a true masterclass in power-hitting.
This wasn't just any other century. It was Rohit's highest score in T20I cricket, surpassing his previous best of 111* against West Indies in 2018. With this knock, he also became the fourth Indian batsman to score a 120+ score in T20Is, joining the elite company of Shubman Gill (126 vs New Zealand, 2023), Ruturaj Gaikwad (123 vs Australia, 2023), and Virat Kohli (122 vs Afghanistan, 2022).
But the story of India's innings wasn't just about Rohit. After a disastrous start that saw them slump to 22/4 in the fifth over, the skipper found an able ally in Rinku Singh. The uncapped batsman played a blinder himself, hammering 69 runs off 39 balls with 2 fours and 6 sixes. Together, Rohit and Rinku stitched a mammoth 190-run partnership for the fifth wicket, rescuing India from the brink of collapse.
Earlier, Afghanistan had threatened to pull off a major upset. Fareed Ahmad Malik was the pick of their bowlers, taking 3/20, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan chipped in with a wicket each.
India will now hope to defend their total effectively and seal the series win against Afghanistan. But with Rohit Sharma back in his destructive form, they can certainly go into the decider with renewed confidence.
Post-Match Reactions:
Rohit Sharma: "It was good to get some runs today. The wicket was good and I was just trying to time the ball. We had a bit of a collapse early on, but Rinku played wonderfully well and took the pressure off me. Hopefully, we can come back stronger in the next game and win the series."
Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan captain): "We fought hard today, but Rohit and Rinku were just too good. We need to learn from our mistakes and come back stronger in the next game