'Don't think Rohit is able to read or understand Shaheen at all': Akhtar's explosive tirade at 'beaten' India captain

Shoaib Akhtar didn't mince his words as he talked about Rohit's dismissal against Shaheen Afridi during the Asia Cup game on Saturday.

Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya orchestrated a remarkable rescue job after Shaheen Afridi delivered a fiery spell up-front, but the clash between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup ultimately concluded with shared points due to rain. India, before the rain eventually put a dampener in the game, posted a total of 266 runs, losing all their wickets in 48.5 overs. Ishan played a pivotal role with his 82 runs off 81 balls, while Pandya contributed a stellar 87. Together, they forged a remarkable 138-run partnership for the fifth wicket after India were left reeling at 66/4 after opting to bat in Pallekele.

Rohit Sharma (L) is dismissed by Shaheen Afridi in Asia Cup 2023; Shoaib Akhtar (AP/YouTube)

India endured a poor start to the game as captain Rohit Sharma, who had looked positive before the first rain break, was castled by Shaheen in the fifth over. Pitching the ball around off, Shaheen got it to nip it back into the right-hander and successfully beat Rohit's defence. This was the second time Shaheen had dismissed the Indian batter; in 2021, the Pakistan left-armer had bowled a similar delivery to dismiss him leg-before wicket.

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar wasn't too pleased with the way Rohit was dismissed in the Asia Cup encounter, insisting that the Indian skipper can “do much better.” Interestingly, Rohit was the aggressor at the start of the innings after his fellow opening partner Shubman Gill was facing reasonable difficulty in tackling Shaheen and Naseem Shah in tandem. The rain-forced break, however, favoured the Pakistan pace attack.

"What a spell it was by Shaheen Afridi, what a bowler he is. Everyone knows what he will do, pitch it full and bring it back in, and in spite of that Rohit Sharma had no answer. But, what is Rohit Sharma supposed to do, in his defence he had last played him in 2022, he does not get the opportunity to face him too often," Akhtar began as he talked about the game on his official YouTube channel.

“I don't think Rohit is able to read or understand Shaheen at all. The visual of Rohit Sharma being beaten like this was not good, he is a far better player than this. Rohit can bat much better than this, I think he is worrying too much.”

Points shared

The abandoned match means both teams shared points, with Pakistan securing a berth in the Super Fours. Babar Azam's men became the first to clinch the spot in the next round, and India will be aiming to join them when they take on Nepal in the last game of Group A.

Afghanistan begin their campaign in Asia Cup on Sunday when they face Bangladesh in Lahore; Shakib Al Hasan's men face a must-win situation, having already faced a defeat to Sri Lanka in their opening match.