Cricket

World Cup 2023: Important to get momentum at the start of the tournament – Rohit Sharma after win against Afghanistan

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was delighted after the team’s convincing win of eight wickets against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Wednesday. India was able to restrict Afghanistan to 272-8 after Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and decided to bat first.

However, the Afghan team found themselves in trouble at 63-3 with Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya striking early. Shahidi and Omarzai scored half-centuries for Afghanistan but Bumrah was the chief destroyer as he returned with impressive figures of 4-39.

On the other hand, Rohit Sharma was able to put on a show at Delhi as he hit the ground running and completed a 30-ball fifty. Sharma smashed a 63-ball century, the fastest for India in World Cup history, breaking former captain Kapil Dev’s record of 72-ball hundred. Rohit broke a few more records during his 84-ball 131-run knock as he became the joint-fastest to score 1000 runs (19 innings) with David Warner in the World Cup.

This was Rohit’s seventh century in the World Cup, the most for any batter and his 31st ODI hundred as he overtook former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting’s tally. Moreover, Rohit overtook Chris Gayle’s record for most sixes in International cricket.

Thus, he was also awarded Player of the Match for his fine knock.

Rohit Sharma said in the post-match presentation, “Was a good win for us, very important to get that momentum at the start of the tournament. It is about absorbing pressure and taking the right decision on the field. There will be a spell from the opposition where you will have to absorb pressure. Leading up to the tournament we had played such games. You have got players with different skill sets in our team. They bring different attributes of the game to the team and it puts you in good positions as a team when you have that.”

He added, “We have got guys who can play fearless cricket with bat and guys who can absorb like the last game. (Asked about playing Pakistan and the talk around it) For us it’s crucial that we don’t worry about external factors and just look at things we can control. We just need to show up and do well. Things like what the pitch is like, what combo we can play is what we can control. What happens outside we won’t be worried about it. It’s just about focusing on what we can do as players and how we can perform.”

India will play their next match against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Saturday.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

India’s Junior Men Clinch Bronze with Gritty 2-1 Win Over Australia in Four Nations Tournament

The Indian junior men’s hockey team wrapped up their campaign at the Four Nations Tournament… Read More

June 26, 2025

Suryakumar Yadav Undergoes Successful Sports Hernia Surgery, Eyes Return for Bangladesh Tour

India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has successfully undergone surgery for a sports hernia in his… Read More

June 26, 2025

Golden Glove Winner Jaspreet Singh Joins Bengaluru FC in Key Summer Move

Bengaluru FC have taken a decisive step toward rebuilding their squad by signing goalkeeper Jaspreet… Read More

June 26, 2025

Ravi Shastri says opening Test loss against England is a tough pill to swallow for India

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri believes the opening Test loss against England is a… Read More

June 26, 2025

Varun Aaron says England batters’ approach made Jasprit Bumrah desperate for wickets in 2nd innings of 1st Test

Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron believes England batters were able to find a way… Read More

June 26, 2025

Varun Aaron says Karun Nair will be disappointed with his opening Test performance against England

Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron believes Karun Nair will be disappointed after he failed… Read More

June 26, 2025