India's captain Rohit Sharma recently revealed that he dedicated two years to perfecting the reverse-sweep shot. His efforts bore fruit during the match against Afghanistan, where he pulled out the reverse sweep on his way to achieving a remarkable fifth T20I century.
The thrilling match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru saw India secure a clean sweep of the three-match T20I series with a victory in the second Super Over, overcoming a tense situation against Afghanistan.
The first innings witnessed India posting a formidable total of 212 for 4, courtesy of a stellar 190-run partnership between Rohit and Rinku Singh.
The 36-year-old concluded the innings with an unbeaten 121 runs off 69 deliveries, showcasing his prowess with 11 boundaries and eight sixes, while Rinku contributed a valuable 69 from 39 balls in front of a packed audience at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
In response, Afghanistan managed to equalise the score with noteworthy half-centuries from Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Gulbadin Naib. The first Super Over ended in a tie, with both teams scoring 16 runs each. However, India secured the victory by scoring 11 runs in the second Super Over and limiting the visitors to just one run with their bowling performance.
In a conversation with Jio Cinema following India's triumph, Rohit revealed that he dedicated the past two years to honing his reverse-sweep technique. With this victory, he has now equalled MS Dhoni's record to become India's most successful captain in T20I cricket.
"I've been practicing that shot a lot. You have to play these shots if you want to put pressure on the bowler, when the ball is spinning and you can't hit straight. That's when you have to try something different. I've been practicing the sweep and reverse-sweep for the last two years," said Rohit.
The captain of the Indian cricket team said that he has utilised the reverse-sweep even in Test cricket, emphasising the importance of having a diverse range of shot options. Following this victory, India prolonged their undefeated streak against Afghanistan in T20Is to 6-0.
"I played the shot a couple of times in Test cricket. You should have options and it's up to you how to use those options. The ball was spinning and gripping, so I thought it would be better to play with the spin rather than hitting it straight," Rohit added.
Rohit Sharma and co. will now turn their attention to the upcoming five-match Test series against Ben Stokes’ England, scheduled to begin on January 25.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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