“Dhundo Dhundo Re Saajna” - When Sunil Gavaskar took a hilarious dig at Rohit Sharma as he played and missed against Dale Steyn
Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Sunil Gavaskar once took a humorous jab at Rohit Sharma during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2012 match between Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers. This incident occurred during the 40th match of the season at Wankhede Stadium when Rohit faced South African pacer Dale Steyn.
Batting first, Deccan Chargers were bowled out for just 100 runs, with Lasith Malinga taking four wickets. In response, Steyn made an immediate impact by dismissing Richard Levi, his fellow countryman, on the very first ball. Rohit came in to bat at number three, and Steyn bowled four consecutive outswingers, with Rohit missing all of them.
As the over ended, a replay highlighted Rohit's struggle to even connect with Steyn's deliveries, prompting Sunil Gavaskar to bring out his humorous side. Singing a few lines from a famous Lata Mangeshkar song, Gavaskar said:
"Rohit Sharma was singing the song, 'Dhundo Dhundo Re Saajna, Dale Steyn ke baalla' (Find me, my beloved, Dale Steyn's balls)"
Rohit Sharma scored 42 runs off 48 balls, including four boundaries and one six, in the match. He was the top scorer for Mumbai Indians as they secured a five-wicket victory with nine balls to spare.
“He was a fierce competitor” - When Rohit Sharma named Dale Steyn as the toughest bowler he has faced
While Rohit Sharma is regarded as one of the greats of the modern era, he named former South African pacer Dale Steyn as the toughest bowler he has ever faced in his career. Steyn, who retired from all forms of the game in 2021, was known as one of the fiercest bowlers to have played the sport.
The 41-year-old played 93 Tests, taking 439 wickets, including 26 five-wicket hauls. He also claimed 260 wickets in white-ball cricket across both formats. Earlier this year, during a conversation with Dubai Eye 103.8, Rohit shared his thoughts on Steyn:
"I have gone and watched his videos like 100 times before I went in to bat. That was Dale Steyn. He is an absolute legend of the game. And what he has achieved in his career is just superb to watch. And I have faced him many times. He is quick. He used to swing the ball at that pace, which is not easy. It is quite tough. And he was a fierce competitor.”
"He just went out there wanting to do everything, to win every game and every session, so it was nice to come up against him. Not that I had much success against him, but I enjoyed my battles,” Rohit added.
However, Steyn managed to dismiss Rohit only once in international cricket and once in the IPL.