The captain of the Indian cricket team and seasoned batsman Rohit Sharma has amassed 92 runs in just 41 balls during the current T20 World Cup match at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St. Lucia, versus Australia. In just 19 balls, the Indian captain reached his half-century mark.
In the Super 8 encounter against India, Australia won the toss and elected to field first in a contest that could go any way. The loss of India’s opener Virat Kohli at 0 (5) dealt a serious blow. But Rohit Sharma took it upon himself to quicken India’s innings, scoring 50 runs in just 19 balls. Throughout his innings, Rohit shared a short partnership with Suryakumar Yadav (31/16) and Rishabh Pant (15). Before heading to the pavilion, the captain of India scored 92 runs in 41 deliveries. In the 11.2 over, it was Mitchell Starc who removed Sharma from the game.
India defeated Australia by a massive 205/5 in 20 overs in a pivotal Super Eight stage match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium here on Monday. Sharma wreaked havoc on Australia’s bowlers with an incredible 92 off 41 balls.
From the start, Rohit was determined to give it everything he had. He towered over everyone and crushed Australia with seven fours and eight sixes at a strike percentage of 224.39, leaving the crowd in awe. With contributions of 31, 28, and 27 not out from Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya, respectively, India amassed an incredible total that included 15 sixes, their highest total in a Twenty20 World Cup match.
Australia managed to rally against Rohit’s vicious attack, with to two wickets apiece from Mitchell Starc and Marcus Stoinis and a fantastic stretch of wicket-taking from Josh Hazlewood (1-13).
India, forced to bat first, took a massive blow in the second over when Virat Kohli was dismissed for a five-ball duck. He was trying to pull Hazlewood, but Tim David, sprinting 26 metres to his right at mid-on, grabbed the top edge. While bowling full and wide balls that the Indian captain lofted twice over cover for successive sixes, Starc attempted to swing the ball into Rohit. After that, Rohit smashed Starc hard over mid-on for four and then top-egged him twice (on a full toss) for two more sixes to finish the third over with 29 runs.
Before the rain interfered, Rohit welcomed Pat Cummins with a stunning slog-sweep that went over the stadium roof at 100 metres. Following a ten-minute break due to rain, Rohit carried on his rampaging, hitting two more fours with a slice and a top-edge, reaching his fifty in just 19 balls.
With a drawn four off Hazlewood and a welcome to Adam Zampa with a dance down the pitch loft over long-on for six, Rishabh Pant joined the boundary-hitting party. After swatting Zampa for a massive six, Rohit heaved Marcus Stoinis for two and four sixes. His dancing down the pitch and lofting inside-out over the extra cover fence was particularly impressive.
Despite Pant’s long-range cover, Stoinis was pulled for two fours by Rohit, who then square drove, swung past long leg, and lofted over extra cover to grab three consecutive boundaries. When Starc’s slower yorker from round the wicket trapped Rohit for 92 off 41 balls, he finally had the last say.
With this shot, Rohit surpassed Virat Kohli’s record of 4103 runs to become the highest-scoring player for India in T20Is. Sharma now has 4114 runs scored.
After hitting Zampa for a massive six over deep mid-wicket and forcing Stoinis through mid-off for four more, Dube got things moving with an upper cut off Starc for four. After heaving Stoinis for six, Suryakumar Yadav sliced Starc for four more runs in the space between short third man and backward point.
However, in his penultimate over, Starc had the last laugh as he forced Suryakumar to send a wide off-cutter behind to the keeper. Pandya ended the short lean phase by smacking Cummins four times and hitting sixes over extra cover and long off with his bottom hand. Dube holed out to deep cover off Stoinis, but India passed 200 thanks to a flicked six off Cummins in the last over by Ravindra Jadeja.
Brief scores:
India 205/5 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 92, Suryakumar Yadav 31; Mitchell Starc 2-45, Marcus Stoinis 2-56) against Australia