Team India offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin praised captain Rohit Sharma and said it is “impossible” to bowl him in the last four overs of a T20 match if he is in good form. Rohit Sharma returned in the shortest format for India in the recently concluded three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, where he led the team to a 3-0 win against the Afghans.
Rohit Sharma created history in Bengaluru by smashing his fifth T20I century, the most ever by anyone in the shortest format. He scored a magnificent 121* in 69 balls against Afghanistan in the third T20I. The Indian captain’s knock came after the Men in Blue were reduced to 22/4 batting first. The 36-year-old was under a bit of pressure after being dismissed for a duck in each of the first two T20Is.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin praised Rohit SharmaThe incredible knock in the third T20I and said: “The most notable point of the match was Rohit’s innings, when the team was floating at 30/4, he tried hard and adapted to the situation and went crazy at the end of the innings. I have said this before, it is impossible to bowl a Rohit Sharma in the last four overs, whoever the bowler is.”
The veteran spinner added that Rohit Sharma has a complete book of shots to dominate bowlers in the death overs in T20Is. He elaborated, “You can get long balls. Towards the body, you can perform the pickup pull. If your short ball sails in front of the wicket, a little fuller and wider, you will see loft over the covers. If you miss the yorker, confirm six. I left the Super Over in the third T20I, he scored six off Tim Southee in New Zealand and won us a match casually.”
Rohit Sharma needs just 10 sixes to achieve another milestone in T20Is
Rohit smashed 11 fours and eight sixes during his innings of 121* in Bengaluru. He has now hit 190 sixes in T20Is and only needs 10 more sixes to become the first player in history to hit 200 sixes in T20Is. While Rohit Sharma departed for a duck in each of the first two T20Is, Ravichandran Ashwin did not give much importance to it. He pointed out that the Indian captain was left without a team in the first match and passed away while he began to show some intent in the second.
“Rohit Sharma once again proved why he is the boss. He has arrived the same way he played in the World ODI. He got two ducks, one of which was sold out and the other showed intent for the team. He once again played for the team and got a century to his name. You have to be careful with Rohit Sharma.” Ashwin concluded.
The three-match T20 series against Afghanistan marked the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the T20Is. Before this series, both played their last T20I in 2022 during the ICC T20 World Cup semi-finals against England. The Indian team will now focus on red-ball cricket as it takes on England in a five-match Test series starting on January 25.