WATCH: Rohit Sharma drops new Gujarat Titans recruit on T20I comeback
India and Afghanistan locked horns today in the first of the three-match T20I series in Delhi. The series is extremely crucial for the Men in Blue as it serves as the final dress rehearsal prior to the 2024 T20 World Cup later this year in June.
Making a return to the T20I setup were India veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. While Rohit was bestowed with the captaincy reins on his return, Kohli opted out of the fixture owing to personal reasons. Both players are making a comeback after a hiatus of over one year in the shortest format, with their last appearance coming in the 2022 T20 World Cup semis loss to England.
While there have been controversies in the past about aged players in the Indian team not contributing enough on the field, Rohit Sharma's catch attempt shows he is just as good as the newcomers on the field. Rohit Sharma, who will be turning 37 this April, attempted a superhuman catch during the series opener against Afghanistan.
WATCH: Rohit Sharma drops new Gujarat Titans recruit on T20I comeback
The incident occurred in the 10th over. Shivam Dube’s good length ball was attempted to hit over covers by Gujarat Titans new recruit Azmatullah Omarzai. The 2022 IPL winners picked the Afghan all-rounder for his base price of INR 50 lakhs, banking on his performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup where he took seven wickets and scored 353 runs at an average of 70 and strike rate of 97.
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Rohit Sharma, standing inside the 30-yard circle, reacted quickly and made a spot jump. The ball was travelling quickly but Rohit Sharma managed to get a hand on the ball. However, he failed to hold on to the ball, denying Shivam Dube a wicket.