3 best Rohit Sharma knocks at the T20 World Cup
Rohit Sharma is one of the few players who was a part of the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007. He's currently leading the Indian team in the 2022 edition of the tournament as they try to get their hands on the trophy for the first time after a 15-year gap.
Over the years, Rohit has been a fine player for India in all formats. In the T20 World Cups, he's also made his presence felt, serving as a timely reminder of his class every now and then.
On that note, let's take a look at three of Rohit Sharma's best knocks in the T20 World Cup.
#1 79* (46) vs Australia, 2010
Rohit Sharma's best knock at the T20 World Cup perhaps came in a losing cause. India found themselves in a must-win game against Australia at the T20 World Cup in 2010. After opting to bowl first, the Indian side were set a target of 185 in this knockout contest.
innings:#OnThisDay in 2010, a 23-year-old Rohit Sharma smashed a 46-ball 79* in India's ICC Men's #T20WorldCup clash against Australia.
Watch the highlights of his ⚡ innings: https://t.co/7Wltx55LJe
Unfortunately, India's innings crumbled in bizarre fashion as Dirk Nannes and Shaun Tait wreaked havoc. Rohit Sharma stood tall against the Australian bowling attack, while singlehandedly saving the side from an embarrassing loss. He scored an unbeaten 79 in 46 balls and was the only one of the two Indian batters to register a double-digit total.
India were reeling at 50/7 at one stage in the innings but Rohit hung in there with the tailenders to put up a fight. The Men in Blue were bundled out for 135, and lost the game by 49 runs.
#2 74 (47) vs Afghanistan, 2021
The T20 World Cup 2021 was one to forget for the Indian side. The team crashed out of the Super 12s after losses against Pakistan and New Zealand. It was an eye opener for the team in many ways, which resulted in a swift change of approach leading up to the tournament this year.
The team adopted a more positive approach against Afghanistan. Rohit Sharma was at the forefront of it, scoring 74 off 47 deliveries to help India set a massive target of 211 runs. The Mumbai Indians captain displayed an array of strokes in this innings, putting on a show against one of the most dangerous bowling attacks in the world which included Rashid Khan.
In reply, Afghanistan were restricted to 144, and India won the game by 66 runs.
#3 50* (40) vs South Africa, 2007
India had their backs against the wall at the T20 World Cup in 2007 but found a way to turn things around throughout that tournament. In this knockout game against the hosts, India won the toss and opted to bat first. However, things didn't go to plan initially as the team stumbled to 33-3 in quick time.
Rohit Sharma took charge in the middle overs to score an important fifty while batting alongside captain MS Dhoni. His acceleration throughout the innings was a crucial aspect that helped India get back in the game, aided by a big finish from Dhoni as India set a target of 154.
The Indian bowlers managed to pull off a sensational performance to help their side over the line in a match which is usually remembered for Dinesh Karthik's flying catch of Graeme Smith. They won the game by 37 runs and it was Rohit who was awarded the Player of the Match for his knock of 50 off 40.