Pakistan's bowling great Shoaib Akhtar has lavished praise on Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, giving him all the credit for India's stunning performance and unbeaten run in the ODI World Cup 2023. Akhtar asserted that Rohit's aggressive batting from the very first over sets the tone for rest of the Indian batters, which has yielded good results. He pointed out Rohit's fearless approach against formidable bowlers like Tim Southee, Trent Boult, and Mitchell Santner during India's World Cup semifinal match against New Zealand on Wednesday, November 15 at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
Following India's stunning 70-run win over New Zealand, Akhtar posted a video on Twitter to heap praise on captain Rohit.
“India brutally hammered New Zealand. Rohit Sharma was like, there's a problem with Boult and Santner; let me hit them and sort it out. I'm a little disappointed that he didn't get a hundred. He could have scored multiple centuries in the tournament or a fifty in the semi-finals. But it's not a big deal. He can still do it (in the finals),” Akhtar said.
"All credit goes to Rohit Sharma as a captain, as a player, and as a batter. He begins the show with a blast and flattens the opposition. Maar maar ke bharta nikal deta hai Rohit Sharma (He just nullifies the opposition). Had Shubman been there, he could have scored a hundred. But he's back from dengue; the body takes time to recover," he added.
Opting to bat first, skipper Rohit set the tone with an explosive 47 runs off 29 balls, while Virat Kohli's masterful 117 runs off 113 balls and Shreyas Iyer's robust 105 runs off 70 balls steered India to a big total. Shubman Gill also played a crucial role with a brisk 80 not out off 66 balls, although he had to retire hurt due to cramps. Riding on the batting blitzes, Men in Blue posted a a formidable total of 397/4. Meanwhile, Kohli etched his name in cricket history by scoring a record-breaking 50th ODI century
New Zealand, in response, managed to score 327 all out in 48.5 overs, largely due to a solid 181-run partnership between Kane Williamson, who scored 69 runs, and Daryl Mitchell with a remarkable 134-run knock. However, their efforts were overshadowed by Mohammed Shami's outstanding bowling, as he ended with figures of 7/57.
India will lock horns with either South Africa or Australia in the World Cup final on November 19.
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