Rohit Sharma Frustrated at Shubman Gill’s Run Out in IND vs AFG 1st T20I

A lot was expected from Rohit Sharma when the veteran opener walked out to bat for Team India in a T20I for the first time since the heartbreaking World Cup 2022 exit to England. Leading the Virat Kohli-less side in his first T20I after 14 months, Rohit opened the innings with his partner-in-crime Shubman Gill in the series opener against Afghanistan at Mohali on Thursday.

After playing a dot in Fazalhaq Farooqi’s first over of the Indian innings, Rohit came down the track and creamed the ball towards the mid-off region. Nothing but a spectator at the non-striker’s end, Gill was caught ball-watching as the Indian opener paid no attention to Rohit’s call for a quick single. Gill tried to send Rohit back, but the Indian had already made a darting run to complete the single. What happened next made headlines as Rohit Sharma got angry at Shubman Gill after the horrible mix-up.

Speaking after the match in the post-match presentation ceremony, Rohit was all smiles when he was asked to recall his cheap dismissal in the series opener between India and Afghanistan. ‘These things happen (on the run-out). 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, got out after playing a very good little innings,’ Rohit said.

In his return game at Mohali, the 36-year-old was dismissed for a two-ball duck. However, India ended up registering a six-wicket win against the visitors as all-rounder Shivam Dube delivered the goods with a quick-fire knock. Dube remained unbeaten on 60 off 40 balls to help India complete the 159-run target in 17.3 overs. For the hosts, Gill (23), Tilak Varma (26) and Jitesh Sharma (31) also made crucial contributions with the bat. For scoring his second half-century and picking a wicket, Dube was named the Player of the Match.

‘Lot of positives. Shivam Dube, the way Jitesh batted, Tilak as well and then Rinku is in good form as well. We want to keep trying different things – try and bowl our bowlers in different situations of the game, like you saw today, Washi bowled the 19th over. We want to challenge ourselves in the areas we are slightly uncomfortable with and the bowlers are not used to that. We want to try and do that. Keeping all of those things in mind, we’ll try and do whatever is possible but not at the cost of the game,’ Rohit added.