IND vs AFG 3rd T-20
In a gripping encounter on Wednesday, Rohit Sharma’s remarkable century and a late flourish by Gulbadin Naib pushed India and Afghanistan to the edge in a high-scoring showdown. The recently concluded 3rd T20I at Bengaluru proved to be anything but an average dead rubber, as not one, but two Super Overs were needed to determine the winner in front of an enthralled crowd.
Returning to his second home for the final contest, Virat Kohli, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) icon, experienced an unusual setback, recording his first-ever golden duck in T20Is. The top-order struggles continued as opener Yashasvi Jaiswal departed for 4, and both Shivam Dube (1) and the returning Sanju Samson (0) faced embarrassing dismissals, putting Team India on the brink of a collapse at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium. With the team in dire straits, Captain Rohit Sharma unleashed a powerful onslaught on the Afghanistan bowlers, leading the fightback for the Men In Blue.
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Rohit, in a spectacular partnership with youngster Rinku Singh (69*), propelled India to a formidable total in RCB’s stronghold. The veteran opener smashed his record fifth century, surpassing the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Glenn Maxwell, who have four each. The unbeaten 190-run stand between Rohit and Rinku became the highest for the fifth wicket in T20Is. Despite India being at 22/4 at one stage, they managed a remarkable recovery, posting 212/4 in 20 overs, with the last two overs yielding 58 runs.
Afghanistan’s Karim Janat faced the brunt in the final over, leaking 36 runs, as they conceded 103 runs in the last 36 balls of the Indian innings. Captain Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 121 off 69 balls stood as the fourth-highest individual score by an Indian batter in T20Is, sealing a thrilling victory for the team in the double Super Over saga.
