NEW DELHI: India captain
Rohit Sharma
earned widespread acclaim following his sensational
performance
against
Australia
in their last
T20 World Cup
Super Eight match in St Lucia on Monday.
Rohit powered to a quickfire 92 off 41 balls, featuring eight massive sixes and seven fours, leading India to a commanding total of 205 for 5. The Indian bowlers then limited Australia to 181 for 7, ensuring a 24-run victory, which played a big part in eliminating the reigning ODI World Cup champions from the tournament.
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Rohit Sharma's innings was highlighted by an explosive over against
Mitchell Starc
, where he scored 29 runs. Former India cricketer
Mohammad Kaif
emphasized the importance of this in swinging the momentum India's way.
"He was having some issues with the full-length deliveries. Left-arm seamers were able to trap him on the legs, and he was getting out trying to play flick shots. But Rohit Sharma is a big-stage player. He performs when the big matches happen, and the competition is tough. When you have the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood in the opposition," Kaif said on Star Sports.
Kaif further noted Rohit's strategic and controlled batting against Starc.
"Rohit Sharma knows how to play an attacking game. He played shots with a straight bat in the crucial match. The two cover drives for sixes off Starc were beautiful shots [Rohit Sharma ki khaas baat yeh hai ki woh attack karna jaante hai. Aur saamne shot lagayi. Saamne over the covers jo do chakka lagayi thi Starc ko, who nihayati khubsurat shot thi]. There was precise timing, and they were played with a high elbow behind the ball. He didn't hit it hard; he played with the full face of the bat. That was the highlight of his batting against Starc when he scored 29 runs in the over. That changed the momentum. India lost
Virat Kohli
just before that, but Rohit had decided that he wouldn't change his intent and would play attacking shots. Scoring 29 runs in an over changed the game," Kaif added.
Sunil Gavaskar
, an India legend, also praised Rohit's performance and leadership during the crucial juncture of the game.
"Rohit Sharma, leading from the front, hitting those big sixes. Despite losing Kohli in the previous over, it just tells you the intent the captain of the Indian team has. They are going to go out and try to maximize their abilities and win matches for the team," Gavaskar noted.
Rohit's influence and leadership have been key to India's progression to the semi-finals, where they are set to face defending champions England. His ability to perform under pressure will be essential as Team India continues its pursuit of the title.
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