(Image Source: PTI)
[Saba Sports News] In the first T20I against Afghanistan in Mohali, the Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, performed well overall, securing a six-wicket victory. Standout performances came from players like Shivam Dube and Axar Patel. However, Rohit Sharma, playing his first T20I in over a year, was dismissed for a duck due to a mix-up with Shubman Gill.
The incident occurred in the opening over of India’s innings. Sharma called for a run, but Gill was distracted by the ball, leading to Sharma being run out by the alert Afghan fielders. Commentators noted Sharma’s frustration and emphasized the importance of understanding between batting partners in running between the wickets.
Afghanistan, batting first, had a strong opening with Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Despite a middle-order collapse, they reached 158/5, thanks to contributions from Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammed Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, and Karim Janat.
For India, Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar excelled with the ball. Chasing 159, India initially stumbled with Sharma’s early dismissal and Gill’s brief cameo. However, partnerships between Shivam Dube and Tilak Varma, and later Dube with Jitesh Sharma, brought India back into the game. Dube, scoring a half-century (60* off 40), and Rinku Singh then steered India to victory.