India captain Rohit Sharma’s five-ball 11 in the third T20I against West Indies on Tuesday (Aug 2) has caught eyes as he managed to create a new record. Before, Sharma walked off the field retired hurt with an injury scare, he had smashed a four and a six.
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With his only six in Tuesday’s match, he registered total 60 sixes to his name as an India captain. Sharma has taken 34 innings to reach this mark, while former skipper Virat Kohli had 59 sixes in 50 games while leading the national side followed by MS Dhoni with 34 maximums under his belt.
Most sixes by Indian captains in men’s T20Is:
- 60 – Rohit Sharma
- 59 – Virat Kohli
- 34 – MS Dhoni
During his brief stay on the pitch in third T20I, he had hit a pull – almost a catch at deep backward square leg. However, fielder Dominic Drakes crossed the rope, helping the skipper to score a six.
Sharma was looking in form as he went on for early big hits but in the second over, while attempting to swing ferociously to the on-side, he appeared to have hurt his lower back. Soon, Indian physio Kamlesh Jain came running to the ground and left the field after a brief on-field chat. Further, BCCI gave a prompt update on his injury and said that he suffered a back spasm.
However, there were quite a few speculations over his inclusion in next T20Is. But, after the game, Rohit indicated that the injury was not as serious, hinting that he would be available for the next two T20Is of the series.
“It’s okay at the moment. We’ve got a few days till the next game, hopefully, it should be okay,” he said.
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After Rohit’s early exit, Suryakumar Yadav took the driving seat and displayed power-pack performance with an attacking approach. His blazing knock of 76 off 44 balls included eight fours and four sixes.
He completed his half-century in just 26 balls and then dominated an 86-run stand with Shreyas Iyer (24) that made the 165 runs as an easy target. However, SKY was dismissed in the 15th over with more than 30 runs to chase and soon after Hardik Pandya also went back to pavilion. Thus, Rishabh Pant took the charge of the match and scored an unbeaten 33 off 26 balls that took India past the finish line.
After the win, Indian skipper credited the victory to bowlers for their disciplined show and was all praises for Yadav.
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“How we bowled in the middle overs, that was crucial,” captain said. “They were about to get a quick partnership. We used the conditions and our variations really well. And then how we chased, it was quite clinical,” he added.
While praising Yadav and Iyer for their solid partnership, Sharma said, “Surya batted brilliantly, good partnership there with Iyer. The pitch had something in it for the bowlers, not an easy target. Was important to pick the right shots, right balls on a ground like that.”
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