On a balmy December afternoon in Jaipur, over 20,000 fans flocked to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium to catch a glimpse of Rohit Sharma. The former India captain did not disappoint in his first Vijay Hazare Trophy appearance in seven years. Facing an unfancied Sikkim side, Rohit scored a blazing century to guide Mumbai to a comfortable win in the campaign opener.
Opting to bat first, Sikkim were restricted to 236 for seven in 50 overs, with wicketkeeper-batter Ashish Thapa top-scoring with 79 off 84 balls, including eight fours. In reply, Rohit single-handedly steered Mumbai through the chase. He brought up his 37th List A century in just 62 balls before remaining unbeaten on 155 off 94 deliveries, smashing 18 fours and nine sixes as Mumbai wrapped up the match with almost 20 overs and eight wickets to spare.
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After the match, a video went viral on social media claiming that a Sikkim player touched Rohit’s feet during the post-match handshake. However, a closer look at the clip shows that the player was merely picking up his cap at the time of the handshake after it slipped from his other hand.
{{/usCountry}}After the match, a video went viral on social media claiming that a Sikkim player touched Rohit’s feet during the post-match handshake. However, a closer look at the clip shows that the player was merely picking up his cap at the time of the handshake after it slipped from his other hand.
{{/usCountry}}Rohit joined Australian great David Warner with the joint-most 150-plus scores in List A cricket, nine each. It was his first 150-plus in six years, since his 159 against the West Indies in 2019, and also his first century in domestic List A cricket since debuting in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2008.
Virat Kohli also grabbed headlines with a century in Delhi’s match against Andhra Pradesh at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, played behind closed doors. It was his third hundred in four List A matches, including twin tons in the recent ODI series against South Africa.
Kohli’s knock, supported by fifties from Priyansh Arya and Nitish Rana, helped Delhi chase down the target in 37.4 overs, winning by four wickets.