In the third and final T20I between India and Afghanistan in Bengaluru, a tense moment unfolded when Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Afghanistan's veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi got into a heated exchange. Despite the high emotions, India's head coach Rahul Dravid regarded the incident as a display of passion in what was essentially a non-decisive match of the series. The game, filled with high scores, ended in a dramatic tie, leading to a Super Over showdown.
The thrilling chase by Afghanistan saw the teams tied at a massive total of 212 runs after the completion of the standard 40 overs. In the ensuing Super Over, Afghanistan set a challenging target of 16 runs. A notable moment occurred when Nabi, attempting a quick single, benefitted from an overthrow caused by a throw from Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, which inadvertently struck Nabi. The ball deflected towards Virat Kohli at long-on, allowing Afghanistan to take two extra runs.
Rohit expressed his displeasure over this incident, engaging in an animated discussion with Nabi on the field. The disagreement centered around whether Nabi's action of taking the extra runs was within the spirit of the game. Despite the dispute, Rohit continued to engage with the umpires even as he returned to the dugout for the innings change in the Super Over.
However, Rohit didn't let the altercation affect his focus. He emerged as the pivotal batter for India in the Super Overs, hitting a six and a boundary in each. The match intensified as the first Super Over ended in a tie, leading to a second Super Over. India set a target of 11 runs, which was successfully defended by Ravi Bishnoi, who was given the responsibility to bowl in this high-pressure situation.
In the post-match press conference, Rahul Dravid drew a parallel to a similar situation involving Shubman Gill in the first T20I, suggesting such incidents were part of the game and not overly scrutinized by the teams.
"It's fine. It's part of the game. Some frustrations at times can happen but it is okay. It hit the non-striker and then it moved and I think it is fine, you know, you can run for those," Dravid said.
"To be honest, in the first T20I there was an incident where it hit the bat of our batsman and we ran a run as well. I think there's nothing to read into, there's nothing in the rules that stops you from actually running those runs. That's fine, it's part of the game.
"It can happen at the end. I think sometimes when you play for your country, there's so much passion and emotion. I think it is incredible that even in dead-rubber games when it gets down to the wire, that competitiveness comes out, that passion comes out. As long as it doesn't cross the line... that's why we have match referees and people who are there to look at these things. I think sometimes a little bit of that passion and emotion is really important. It shows that people care. I think as long as it doesn't cross the line, it's great," he added.
Rohit's exceptional performance, including a magnificent 69-ball 121 and crucial contributions in both Super Overs, was instrumental in India's victory. This win not only completed a 3-0 series sweep over Afghanistan but also marked Rohit as one of India's most successful captains in men's T20Is.
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