T20 World Cup 2021: “Rohit Sharma attacks strong bowlers in the opposition” - Inzamam-ul-Haq praises Indian opener for taking on Rashid Khan

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has described Indian opener Rohit Sharma as a class act who is always willing to take on strong bowlers in the opposition. According to Inzamam, India rectified their mistake of demoting Rohit to no.3 in the New Zealand game by making him open against Afghanistan and was rewarded for the same.

Rohit was the man of the match against Afghanistan on Wednesday for his 47-ball 74. He slammed Rashid Khan for two consecutive sixes in the 14th over of the innings.

Praising Rohit, Inzamam said on his YouTube channel that the Indian opener could single-handedly change the course of a limited-overs match. He stated:

“In the previous match, Rohit Sharma was moved down the order. It showed that the team did not have confidence in the players. But Rohit Sharma is a kind of player who can change the game single-handedly in ODIs and T20Is.”

Speaking specifically about Rohit’s attack on Rashid, the former Pakistan captain added:

“The way he took on Rashid Khan, who is the backbone of the opposition team, and hit him for two sixes... He demoralized the other bowlers as well, who would have seen their main weapon being thrashed. That is the class of Rohit Sharma. He attacks strong bowlers in the opposition.”

Rohit and KL Rahul (69 off 48) were involved in a record opening stand of 140 against Afghanistan. India posted 210 for 2 and then restricted the opponents to 144 for 7.

“The tournament is still open” - Inzamam feels India’s win has made T20 World Cup exciting

Despite the win, India’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals are very slim. According to Inzamam, though, India would be confident of catching up with the run rate but will need Afghanistan to get the better of New Zealand somehow.

The Pakistan legend elaborated:

“The Afghanistan vs New Zealand match is very crucial now. Run rate is not an issue for India, they have the ability to catch up on it. But if Afghanistan manage to defeat New Zealand, maybe if they get a turning track, then India could benefit. If Afghanistan wins that game, then it could come down to the run rate of the teams. I feel India will be able to beat New Zealand and Afghanistan when it comes to the run-rate scenario. Yes, their current run-rate is down, but they can cover it against Namibia and Scotland. The tournament is still open because of India’s win.”

The Afghanistan vs New Zealand clash will take place on Sunday, November 7, at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.