IPL 2016: Rohit Sharma’s determined knock against KKR was unruffled and flawless, showed immense temperament

IPL 2016: Rohit Sharma’s determined knock against KKR was unruffled and flawless, showed immense temperament

Rohit Sharma fired with all guns and scored scintillating 68 off just 49 deliveries to see his side romping home to another victory against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 24th game of the Indian Premier League at Mumbai. It’s proven fact, whenever Rohit scores Mumbai Indians win; there will be either aggravation or jubilation. But one thing is guaranteed, there will be classy entertainment when he gets going. This was Rohit’s best innings in the tournament so far. He wasn’t erratic and left no room for error, his risks were calculated and backed his abilities. Pundits and critics have often praised Rohit saying that he is oozing with talent but inconsistency has been a major drawback in his enticing cricket career.  Read: IPL 2016: Mumbai Indians beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 6 wickets, Stars and Flops

Rohit will certainly have to score a lot of runs if MI are eyeing to make it to the qualifiers or even for the title. He’s the spine of MI’s batting attack and his success at the top will bolster the team’s morale as he gets his team to a flying start. Prior to this game, KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir spoke about the explosive abilities of Rohit and also said that as skipper he would fear Rohit more than Virat Kohli.

And yet again, Gambhir was on the receiving end and faced the wrath of the mortal named Rohit. He unquestionably enjoys batting against KKR. Earlier, this season he scored an unbeaten 84 and steered his side to victory at Eden Gardens and he did it once again at home. Rohit has amassed 655 runs in 18 games against KKR so far at a staggering average of 54.58 which is splendid. Gambhir also said that he would look to stop Rohit from scoring runs which eventually didn’t happen as a result of which KKR suffered a defeat.

MI were chasing a huge target of 175 in 20 overs, they were half way down in the tournament with just three wins to their names. The pressure was humongous and they were hoping to bid a winning farewell to Wankhede. Out came a man who was on a mission and looked focused from the outset, his name was Rohit Sharma. He showed his killer instincts and sent a chill down KKR’s spine when he pulled Jaydev Unadkat for a massive six over deep square leg into the second tier. Hitting a ball that far early on in the innings demands concentration and quick reflexes, his head was still and watched the ball till the very last second which helped him to middle it. One thing was clear, he wasn’t going to waste any time and get the scoreboard ticking.  

Moments later, Parthiv Patel floundered but Rohit remained unaffected, which is very rare for Rohit. While chasing such a huge target, batsman at the other end tends to get carried away when a wicket falls at the other end but Rohit maneuvered the ball into the gaps and kept the asking rate under check. In the fourth over, he cut Umesh Yadav ferociously for a boundary through point. The very next delivery was a testament to Rohit’s watertight timing as he punched the ball sweetly towards the cover boundary; this moment was eye pleasing for every cricket fanatic.  He was resolute and wasn’t looking to slog; he offered a straight bat and confronted mystery spinner Sunil Narine with unmatched confidence.

One of the notable things from his innings was his selection of shots and he was picking the right delivery. The ball just kept flying from his bat whenever he made a good contact. The MI’s dugout was not under any kind of pressure as long as Rohit was out there in the middle. It’s mandatory for a team to have a set batsman at the crease till the end while chasing such a big total such as 175 and Rohit was certainly aware of this and ensured that he batted throughout the innings.

Rohit was sensible enough not to let his game affected despite losing wickets at the other end, that innings was a perfect example of how to anchor an innings. He has a tendency to play loose shots and often throw his wicket away, but on this occasion he was not in any kind of hurry despite hunting for a big target. Rohit is lethal in shorter formats and can change the game in a span of few overs. If he continues his pristine form, he will definitely be the reason behind many bowlers’ nightmare.

Though Pollard stole the show with his cameo but Rohit laid the foundation for the middle-order to do so. He was rightly awarded the man of the match award and MI will want more of this from their skipper.

This article was first published at CricketCountry