An Unwanted Milestone for Indian Captain Rohit Sharma
The auspicious return of Indian captain Rohit Sharma to T20I cricket was marked by a personal professional milestone as he celebrated his 100th win in the format. A commanding performance by India resulted in a triumphant start against Afghanistan in the first T20I at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. India’s victory was bolstered by an impressive all-round display by Shivam Dube, who along with other teammates, led the team to clinch a 6-wicket win against the Afghans.
The Men in Blue expertly chased down the set target of 159 runs, buoyed by a robust half-century from Shivam Dube and significant efforts from Jitesh Sharma and Rinku Singh, among others. This win established a 1-0 lead for India in the slated three-match series.
Despite the revelry that enveloped the team, it wasn’t quite the perfect night for Rohit Sharma with the willow in hand. The ace batsman met with disappointment as he was dismissed for a duck, falling prey to a precarious run-out situation. The unprecedented event unfolded due to a glaring miscommunication with his opening partner, Shubman Gill, which led to a scenario where both batsmen found themselves at the same end as Rohit made a dash for a run after a stroke to mid-off. The consequence of this confusion saw Rohit being run out, a blunder that Gill has no choice but to witness from safety within his crease.
The night, thus, saw Rohit inscribing his name under an unwanted record that no Indian T20I captain before him had achieved. For the first time in the history of Indian T20I cricket, a captain was run out without scoring. Previously, eight captains from other full-member ICC nations had met with a similar fate in T20Is, but Rohit was the first Indian captain to encounter this ignominious feat. This occasion also marked Rohit’s 11th duck in T20I cricket. Among the global captains with similar dismissals are:
– Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) – 2 times
– Asghar Afghan (Afghanistan) – 1 time
– Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 1 time
– Stuart Broad (England) – 1 time
– Elton Chigumbura (Zimbabwe) – 1 time
– Paul Collingwood (England) – 1 time
– Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) – 1 time
– Daniel Vettori (New Zealand) – 1 time
The Aftermath of the Run-out Incident
Rohit Sharma’s run-out also marked him as the 11th Indian to be dismissed in this mode for a duck in T20Is. Preceding him in this unwelcome list are players like Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Amit Mishra, Mohammed Shami, Manish Pandey, Ravi Bishnoi, Ambati Rayudu, and Virender Sehwag. The frustration at the dismissal was palpable, as the 36-year-old skipper was visibly fuming at Gill while making his way back to the pavilion.
Nevertheless, Sharma demonstrated resilience and leadership by addressing the incident post-match. “These things happen,” he acknowledged during the press conference. “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, he got out after playing a very good little innings.”
Shifting focus from the brief moment of discontent, the Indian captain and his team celebrated the significant victory, which was indeed the highlight of the evening. It’s a testament to Rohit Sharma’s leadership that even in the face of a personal setback, the emphasis remained on team success and collective achievement. The Indian team, looking forward, will certainly bank on this spirit to propel them through the remainder of the series and beyond.
