NEW DELHI: India's captain, Rohit Sharma, displayed exceptional leadership and resilience in the third T20I against Afghanistan, guiding his team to a thrilling victory and equalling the T20I win record set by the legendary MS Dhoni.
Having faced setbacks in the first two matches of his comeback T20I series, Rohit's triumphant comeback, 121 not out off 69 balls, in Bengaluru showcased both individual brilliance and strategic acumen.
Teaming up with finisher Rinku Singh (69* off 39), Rohit rescued India from a precarious batting situation, leading the hosts to a victory in the double Super Over thriller.
His outstanding century, a record-breaking fifth T20I century for India, and an unbeaten 190-run partnership with Rinku Singh helped India recover from 22/4 to post a formidable total of 212 in 20 overs.
"This is the format where your captaincy skills are really tested. If he has a higher winning percentage than MS and Virat, that tells you what a good captain he is," commented former Indian cricketer Rohan Gavaskar to Cricbuzz, acknowledging Rohit's exceptional captaincy skills.
1/10:3rd T20I: Rohit Sharma leads India record surge against Afghanistan
TNN
2/10:Rohit Sharma
<p>Rohit Sharma registered his fifth T20I hundred, including third as captain, to become the first batter to accomplish the feat in T20Is. </p>AFP
3/10:5th T20I ton
<p>Rohit Sharma went ahead of Glenn Maxwell and Suryakumar Yadav who have four T20I hundreds each to their credit. </p>PTI
4/10:121 not out
<p>Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 121 is his career-best in T20Is, bettering the 118 against Sri Lanka at Indore on December 22, 2017. </p>AFP
5/10:Most sixes as captain
<p>Rohit Sharma's 90 sixes in 54 innings are the most by a captain in T20Is, outstripping the 86 in 65 innings by Eoin Morgan. </p>TNN
6/10:Rinku Singh
<p>Rinku Singh's unbeaten 69 is his career-best in T20Is, bettering his only other fifty — 68 not out vs South Africa at St. George's Park on December 12, 2023. </p>PTI
7/10:India's highest partnership
<p>An unbroken stand of 190 runs for the fifth wicket between Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh is India's highest partnership for any wicket in T20Is. </p>TNN
8/10:World record stand
<p>The unbeaten 190-run stand is also a world record for the fifth wicket in T20Is, outstripping the 145 between Dipendra Airee and Kushal Malla for Nepal vs Hong Kong at Mulpani on October 21, 2023. </p>PTI
9/10:36 runs in an over
<p>36 runs scored by Rohit and Rinku off Karim Janat, emulated a record for most runs in an over (7-ball over: 4, 7nb, 6, 1, 6, 6, 6). </p>PTI
10/10:Yuvraj Singh
<p>Yuvraj Singh had scored 36 runs off Stuart Broad's 6-ball over at Durban on September 19, 2007 and Kieron Pollard — 36 off Akila Dananjaya's 6-ball over at Antigua on March 3, 2021. </p>Getty ImagesGavaskar further emphasized the cricketing intelligence displayed by Rohit and Rinku, highlighting their ability to adapt their game plan after the team found itself at 22/4.
"What I really liked about this innings is that, generally you say in a T20I game now - the template is to go bang bang bang from the word go. And that is the template that is set. But both Rohit and Rinku used their cricketing intelligence at 22-4 and said no. We can get runs later on, but let's just give ourselves a little bit of time," added Gavaskar.
The cricketing intelligence and composure demonstrated by Rohit and Rinku were crucial as they balanced aggression with patience, resulting in a remarkable comeback and a significant win for India.
With this victory, Rohit achieved a milestone by matching Dhoni's feat of 41 wins as India's T20I captain, underlining his impact and effectiveness in leading the team. Additionally, Rohit's century made him the most successful century-maker in T20Is, surpassing Glenn Maxwell and Suryakumar Yadav.
(With inputs from agencies)
