India captain Rohit Sharma’s battle with Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi continued during the high-voltage ICC Champions Trophy clash in Dubai, with the pacer dismissing him for the third time in five ODI innings.
Rohit, known for his aggressive starts, looked to dominate Pakistan’s pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf. His intent was clear from the onset as he launched an early assault against Naseem Shah. In the second over, he edged a delivery for four before pulling a massive six into the second tier beyond deep backward square leg. He followed it up with a stylish boundary over mid-off, showcasing his signature timing.
However, Shaheen Afridi struck back with a sensational in swinging yorker that shattered Rohit’s middle stump. The Indian skipper, after scoring 20 runs off 15 balls, stood stunned before making the long walk back to the dressing room. This marked the third ODI dismissal for Shaheen against Rohit, with the opener managing just 53 runs off 60 balls against the left-armer at an average of 17.66 and a strike rate of 88.33.
While Rohit’s innings was short-lived, spinner Kuldeep Yadav turned the tide with the ball. The left-arm wrist-spinner dismantled Pakistan’s middle order, returning with impressive figures of 3/40 in nine overs. Kuldeep’s dominance against Pakistan continues to grow, having now taken 15 ODI wickets against them at a remarkable average of 14.00 and a strike rate of 21.6.
India’s combined effort with both bat and ball ensured a commanding performance in this much-anticipated encounter against their arch-rivals.