'HE HASN'T SCORED A SINGLE RUN in this series': Rohit Sharma lambasted for horror show in T20 return

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made their return to the T20I setup for India after 14 months in the India vs Afghanistan series. While Kohli opted out of the first T20I due to personal reasons, Rohit played both the T20I against Afghanistan. However, Rohit's return to T20 internationals hasn't gone to plan as he has failed to fire for India at the top. Rohit Sharma has been dismissed for a grand total of 0 runs in both matches of the IND vs AFG T20I series. 

3 things you need to know

• Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made their return to the T20I setup for India after 14 months
• Rohit's return to T20 internationals hasn't gone to plan
•  Rohit Sharma has been dismissed for 0 runs in both matches

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IND vs AFG: Rohit Sharma's poor run continues

In the first T20I, Rohit was run-out for a duck after a mix-up with Shubman Gill but in the second T20I, the India captain was bowled by Fazalhaq Farooqi for a first-ball duck. This is the only T20I series India play before the T20 World Cup in 2024 and time is running out for Rohit to justify his return to the side. Former India batsman and cricket commentator Aakash Chopra talked about Rohit's performance in the series and did not like his shot selection in the second T20I. 

"It was extremely surprising the way Rohit got out. He was playing just his first ball. He doesn't play such shots. The ball went and hit his stumps. He got run out in the last match and was bowled for zero in this match. He hasn't scored a single run in this series thus far," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"Run-out was not his mistake but the shot selection definitely was. 

Chopra now wants Rohit to fire in the IPL 2024 as it is the only T20 competition Indian players will play in before the big tournament in USA and West Indies.

"There is no doubt about Rohit Sharma's form and ability. However, he will have to be in form in the IPL and I feel he will bat like this only. We need 38-40, the runs he was scoring in the ODI World Cup, from his bat," he added.

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Despite Rohit's dismissal, India beat Afghanistan easily

Riding on a flurry of mighty maximums, Shivam Dube and Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed Afghanistan's bowlers to smithereens with swashbuckling half-centuries as India made short work of a 173-run target to win the second T20I by six wickets here on Sunday.

While Yashasvi got out after hammering 68 off 34 balls, including six sixes, Dube ended unbeaten on a 32-ball 63, hitting four maximums in the process.

India completed the chase with 26 balls to spare, taking an unassailable lead in the three-match series.

Gulbadin Naib top-scored with a breezy 35-ball 57 before the lower-order batters Mujeeb Ur Rahman (21 off 9 balls) and Karim Janat (20 off 10) chipped in with useful contributions to lift Afghanistan to 172 all out.

India's chase began on a eventful note that saw a first-ball boundary by Yashasvi Jaiswal, a loud shout for an lbw and an unsuccessful Afghanistan review, and a first-ball duck for Rohit Sharma.

In his first T20I since November 2022, Virat Kohli began with a lovely boundary before Jaiswal smashed Fazalhaq Farooqi for two sixes.

Recreating the famous shot he played against Haris Rauf in the last T20 World Cup at MCG, Kohli hit a short-of-a-length Naveen-ul-Haq delivery back over the bowler's head for a four. On that night in Australia though, it was a six.

Having switched ends, Mujeeb leaked 19 runs with Jaiswal collecting three fours and Kohli one.

However, Naveen-ul-Haq cut short Kohli highly promising stay at the crease by having the maestro caught at mid-off for a 16-ball 29.

Unperturbed by the Kohli's dismissal, the duo of Jaiswal and Dube went about their task in a brutal manner, leaving the Afghan bowlers bruised and battered.

(with PTI inputs)