IND vs AFG: Rohit Sharma created history, and became the first batsman to achieve a major feat in men's T20I!
PC: dnaindia
Indian captain Rohit Sharma saved India's pride and gave a remarkable performance by scoring his fifth T20 century in Bengaluru on Wednesday, 17 January.
With this feat, Rohit has become the only player to score five centuries in the shortest format of the game, leaving behind his compatriot Suryakumar Yadav and Australia's Glenn Maxwell, who both have four centuries to their name.
After two consecutive failures, the openers were keen to make an early impact. However, his leg glance was mistakenly called leg-by by umpire Virender Sharma, leading to a ridiculous argument between the Indian captain and the umpire. Unfortunately, the laughter was short-lived as the Afghan bowlers wreaked havoc on the Indian top order.
Despite a great start, India found themselves in a precarious position in the third over when both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli were out in quick succession. Bengaluru fans were left disappointed after Kohli got out for a golden duck.
Shivam Dubey, who had scored half-centuries in the last two matches, could score only one run before getting out. Sanju Samson also failed to leave his mark and he too was out without scoring any runs.
However, Rinku Singh came to the crease and formed a flexible partnership with the Indian captain which ultimately saved the team. The duo scored 61 runs in a row in the first 10 overs before changing gears and accelerating the scoring rate. The Indian captain faced the bowlers fearlessly and hit boundaries with ease.
Rohit Sharma achieved a remarkable feat by scoring a century in just 64 balls with the help of 10 fours and 6 sixes. The Indian captain ended his innings with an unbeaten score of 121 runs off just 69 balls. This outstanding performance is the fourth-highest individual score by an Indian batsman in T20 Internationals.
For Rohit, this achievement holds special significance. India successfully ended its innings with a total of 212 runs.