Team India openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul smashed their respective half-centuries as they put the horrors of the first two games behind and got the team off to a blazing start against Afghanistan in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Abu Dhabi.
Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi decided to bowl first in a surprise to many as his side has been batting first after opting to bat first in their previous three games, and the openers just came out all guns blazing. Maybe the pressure was not there and they played with freedom.
Both Rohit and Rahul took a couple of overs to get their eyes in and Nabi’s decision of opening with spin didn’t work in Afghanistan’s favour as till the pacers came, they were set.
Rohit first went after Naveen-ul-Haq in the fifth over of the innings hitting two fours and a six, while Rahul played the second fiddle and the accumulator. He kept rotating strike regularly and didn’t let go of any boundary opportunity.
The fifty-run partnership came in the fifth over and they just didn’t lift the foot off the pedal after that. Rohit brought up his first fifty of the tournament and Rahul smashed a six in the same over to bring the duo’s 100-run stand.
FIFTY for @ImRo45!
His rd in T20Is as #TeamIndia move to 95/0 after 11.2 overs. #INDvAFG #T20WorldCup
Follow the match https://t.co/42045c5J05 pic.twitter.com/Y3xw0GR4d2
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 3, 2021
Rahul brought up his 13th half-century in T20Is as they just threw caution out of the window and ended up stitching a magnificent partnership of 140 runs in just 88 balls.
Half-century NO. for @klrahul11 in T20Is!
He & @ImRo45 also complete a fine century stand. #TeamIndia #INDvAFG #T20WorldCup
Follow the match https://t.co/42045c5J05 pic.twitter.com/Edj0ZAIl59
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 3, 2021
With two sixes of Rashid Khan, Rohit went into the 70s but couldn’t continue for long after that as Karim Janat dismissed him in his first over but not before he hit eight fours and three sixes.
Rahul too was dismissed quickly after that when he tried to play a ramp shot but missed the ball completely as he got out for 69.
