Unusual Cricket World Cup Experience
The 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup is well underway, with all participating teams having played at least one match. As of the first week, before Australia’s match against South Africa on Thursday, New Zealand, India, and Pakistan were leading the points table, each with four points.
On Wednesday, India delivered a dominating performance against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, securing their second victory in as many matches. Rohit Sharma was the standout player, scoring an exceptional 131 runs in just 81 balls, achieving a record seventh World Cup century. This impressive innings helped India chase down a target of 273 runs in just 35 overs.
Rohit Sharma also made history by hitting five sixes during his innings, taking his career total to 556 sixes across all three formats, surpassing West Indian Chris Gayle by three sixes. Notably, Rohit achieved this milestone in 453 matches, 30 games fewer than Gayle.
Rohit Sharma, in a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), expressed his admiration for Chris Gayle, referring to him as the “Universe Boss” and acknowledging that he drew inspiration from Gayle’s prolific six-hitting abilities. Rohit also mentioned the significance of sharing jersey No. 45 with Gayle.
In a separate development, a video circulating on social media depicted a fistfight among fans on the sidelines of a World Cup match, reportedly occurring at the Arun Jaitley Stadium during the India vs. Afghanistan match. However, the video’s authenticity could not be independently verified.
Ek Banda ground me kood gaya🤣🤣🤣
— Harsh Deshwal (@IamHarshDeshwal) October 11, 2023
Following India’s comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Afghanistan in their ninth ODI World Cup match, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya celebrated his 30th birthday with his teammates in the dressing room. The BCCI shared a glimpse of this birthday celebration on their official social media account.
Hardik Pandya expressed his gratitude for the birthday wishes and highlighted the significance of playing on his birthday for the first time in his life. In the match against Afghanistan, Pandya contributed with both bat and ball, taking two wickets during his seven-over spell and not needing to bat as India’s top-order batsmen ensured the successful run chase.
Afghanistan had set a target of 273 runs in the first innings, with Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai playing crucial innings of 80 and 62 runs, respectively. In the second innings, Rohit Sharma’s remarkable century set the tone for India’s victory, and Virat Kohli’s solid 55 runs from 56 balls ensured a comfortable win.
In the next match, India is set to face Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, a highly anticipated encounter in the World Cup.
