Former India allrounder and 2011 ODI World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh felt that the clash between India and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy on Sunday can be decided by just one knock from captain Rohit Sharma.
Rohit had gone through a rut previously, having scored a fifty in 15 international innings before the home series against England. Even his Ranji Trophy return with Mumbai resulted in scores of 3 and 28.
However, the 37-year-old came back to form in stunning fashion, scoring a fluent 119 against England in the second ODI in Cuttack. Despite being out for a single run in the next ODI, Rohit gave India a good platform in the Champions Trophy’s opening match against Bangladesh with a quickfire 41 off 36 balls which took India’s score to 69/1 in the first powerplay.
Also Read:
The Indian captain also has an excellent record against Pakistan. In the 19 ODIs he has faced them, Rohit has 873 runs which include two hundreds scored in the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2018 Asia Cup along with eight fifties.
In their last ODI clash in Ahmedabad during the 2023 World Cup in India, Rohit smashed 86 off 63 balls as India chased down a target of 192 with 117 balls remaining and seven wickets in hand.
Yuvraj, who had faced Pakistan multiple times in bilateral series and in ICC events, felt that Rohit can single-handedly win the contest for India.
“In ODIs and white-ball formats, he has been India’s biggest match-winner alongside Virat Kohli. If he is struggling but still gets runs, that is dangerous for the opposition. If he is in form, he will score a century in 60 balls. That is his quality — once he gets going, it’s not just about fours, but also clearing the ropes with sixes,” Yuvraj said while speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Greatest Rivalry Returns’.
“Even if someone bowls at 145-150 kmph, Rohit has the ability to hook it effortlessly. His strike rate is always between 120-140, and on his day, he can single-handedly win you the game,” Yuvraj added.
India faced Pakistan five times in the Champions Trophy and have won two and lost three. They lost the final against Pakistan in 2017 Champions Trophy.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
