Team India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, made his return to the T20I circuit in a face-off against Afghanistan in Mohali on January 11, marking his comeback since the 2022 T20 World Cup. The 36-year-old took on the opening position alongside Shubman Gill. However, an unfortunate mix-up with Gill led to Rohit getting out for a duck on the second ball of the innings.
In the early moments of India’s innings, Rohit played a shot towards mid-off and attempted a quick single. Meanwhile, Gill remained fixed on the ball and did not respond to the run. This miscommunication resulted in Rohit’s dismissal. Visibly frustrated, the Indian captain exited the field, expressing his displeasure and directing his frustration towards Gill.
“These things happen (on the run-out). When it happens you feel frustrated, you want to be out there and score runs for the team. Everything will not go your way. We won the game, that’s more important. I wanted Gill to carry on, unfortunately, got out after playing a very good little innings,” said Rohit as he spoke about his run-out during the post-match presentation.
In terms of the match, India secured a comfortable six-wicket victory over Afghanistan, wrapping up the game with 15 balls to spare, thanks to the brilliant performance of all-rounder Shivam Dube, who scored an unbeaten 60 off 40 balls.
Jitesh Sharma, renowned for his explosive finishes in the IPL, made a significant contribution with an impressive 31 off 20 balls. Axar Patel, filling in for the absence of Ravindra Jadeja, played a crucial role with his precise deliveries, concluding with figures of 4-0-23-2.
Highlighting the positives from the match, the Indian captain expressed satisfaction with the performances of Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Tilak, and Rinku, who is currently in good form. Emphasizing the team’s strategy to experiment with different situations, such as giving the 19th over to Washi, the captain stated that the aim is to challenge themselves in areas where they may be less comfortable. While acknowledging the need for experimentation, he assured that it would not come at the expense of the game. The skipper also commended the younger players for their efforts.