India captain Rohit Sharma looked helpless at the start of the Champions Trophy final on Sunday in Dubai. For the 12th consecutive time in ODI cricket, the 37-year-old lost the toss, which saw New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner opt to bat first.
Rohit sparked a hilarious reaction after losing the toss on Sunday. Given the outcome in his previous 11 appearances as a captain in the 50-over format, the opener seemed to have given up on winning the toss again as he gestured towards his team, saying there was no need for the formality. But rather than being frustrated, he saw the funny side to it.
The reaction even left former cricketer Abhinav Mukund, presenter on Star Sports, in splits. He said: "Rohit be like why go for a toss. This is the 12 consecutive time he has lost the toss. I wonder if there is a probability for this," as Ambati Rayudu and Mike Hesson, who were part of the panel, could not stop laughing.
The outcome also saw Rohit equal West Indies legend Brian Lara's (1998 - 1999) all-time record of 12 straight losses in the toss. Overall, it was the 15th consecutive time India lost the toss the format.
Matt Henry left shattered
{{/usCountry}}The outcome also saw Rohit equal West Indies legend Brian Lara's (1998 - 1999) all-time record of 12 straight losses in the toss. Overall, it was the 15th consecutive time India lost the toss the format.
Matt Henry left shattered
{{/usCountry}}New Zealand made just one change, with injured Matt Henry getting replaced by Nathan Smith. The fast bowler had injured his shoulder while fielding in the semifinal game in Lahore against South Africa earlier this week. While the Black Caps decided to wait until the morning of the final, visuals from Dubai showed that Henry was reduced to tears after showing discomfort during his fitness test in Dubai before the final.
India, on the other hand, remained unchanged.
Teams:
New Zealand (Playing XI): Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, William ORourke
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy