Captain Rohit Sharma's Explosive Century Propels India to Victory at Arun Jaitley Stadium
NEW-DELHI: In a thrilling 9th match of the ODI World Cup 2023, India emerged victorious against Afghanistan by 8 wickets, largely owing to the remarkable batting display by their captain, Rohit Sharma. The match, held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, witnessed an incredible chase where India secured the win, chasing a target of 273 runs in just 35 overs.
Rohit Sharma, leading from the front, etched his name in the annals of cricket history by scoring a blazing century in a mere 63 balls, marking the fastest century by an Indian in the World Cup. His stellar performance didn't end there, he surpassed the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record by securing the most centuries (7) in World Cup history. Additionally, Rohit broke West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle's record by hitting an astonishing 557 sixes, surpassing any player in cricket. The match also witnessed Virat Kohli's exceptional batting as he notched up his second consecutive half-century, scoring 55 runs off 56 balls.
The Indian innings encountered an early setback with the dismissal of Ishan Kishan for 47 runs by Rashid Khan. However, Rohit Sharma's spectacular innings of 131 runs, adorned with 16 fours and 5 sixes, steered India towards victory. Shreyas Iyer contributed with 25 runs, and Rashid Khan from Afghanistan claimed 2 crucial wickets.
In the initial phase of the match, Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Displaying grit and determination, Afghanistan managed to post a challenging total of 272 runs for eight wickets, majorly propelled by their captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi's stellar innings of 80 runs. Shahidi's partnership with Azmatullah Umarzai proved crucial, as they forged a 121-run alliance for the fourth wicket. Jasprit Bumrah showcased his bowling prowess, securing four wickets for 39 runs in his 10 overs, while Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, and Shardul Thakur also made significant contributions, each claiming wickets to restrict Afghanistan's run flow.
