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Rohit Sharma staring at incredible world record, India skipper on cusp of surpassing Afridi in unique batting list
Rohit Sharma laid the foundation for a big total with his brilliant effort at the top, before Dinesh Karthik's late blitz powered India to 190-6 in the first T20 against West Indies.
Fresh from a 2-1 series triumph in England, the Indian team opted to rest regular skipper Rohit Sharma for the 50-over series in West Indies. Opener Shikhar Dhawan led the visitors to a 3-0 victory, even when most of their prominent players remained absent from the setup. Rohit, who was among the first-choice players rested for the ODI assignment, returned with great aplomb, hitting 64 off 44 balls with seven fours and two sixes in the Twenty20 opener on Friday. Also Read | 'He knows what he wants to achieve against each opponent. It's very rare': Bhuvneshwar's hails 23-year-old India star
The 35-year-old laid the foundation for a big total with his brilliant effort at the top, before Dinesh Karthik's late blitz powered India to 190-6. The bowling unit then restricted West Indies to just 122-8 in 20 overs. As India look to gain a 2-0 lead in the five-game series, India will hope for Rohit to do an encore of his performance. He is also staring at a huge batting feat in world cricket.
Rohit, known for his elegant style of play as an opener, needs just four more sixes to surpass Shahid Afridi in the list of most sixes in international cricket. Chris Gayle leads the list with 553 sixes, followed by Afridi (476) and Rohit (473*) in the second and third spot, respectively.
Most sixes in International cricket:
Chris Gayle - 553
Shahid Afridi - 476
Rohit Sharma - 473*
Rohit's Indian side will look to extend its domination over the Caribbean side in the second clash in Basseterre. The T20, however, has been delayed due to logistical issues. West Indies Cricket informed fans that the game which was scheduled to start at 8 PM IST on Monday will now begin at 10 PM IST.
"Due to circumstances beyond CWI's control, there have been significant delays in crucial team luggage arriving into St Kitts from Trinidad. As a result, today's match 2nd Goldmedal T20 Cup match is due to start at 12:30 pm (11:30am Jamaica/10pm India). CWI regrets any inconvenience caused to our valued fans, sponsors, broadcast partners and all other stakeholders," West Indies Cricket said in a statement.
The third game is at the same venue on Tuesday, while the last two matches of the T20 series will be played at Lauderhill in Florida.
Before the start of the 20-over challenge in the West Indies, Rohit had talked about India's plans for this year's T20 World Cup. “Talking about our guys, everyone is looking ready to go. We will try and work out some things and achieve something as well. To achieve something from the series we play has always been our goal,” Rohit said.
If India manage to win the ongoing series by a 5-0 margin, Rohit will surpass Virat Kohli’s tally of victories in the format. Kohli has 30 wins under his belt, while the current India skipper has enjoyed 27 wins so far.
