[Watch] Rohit Sharma hilariously forgets teammate's name during toss of 1st IND vs AFG T20I

Team India captain Rohit Sharma once again inadvertently made fans chuckle with his forgetfulness when he appeared at the toss for the first T20I against Afghanistan. Rohit led the home side against the Afghan team on Thursday (January 11) at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.

It was a comeback match for the veteran India batter in the shortest format. He had last played a T20I back in 2022, which was the semi-final of the 2022 T20I World Cup against England.

He has not featured in a single T20I game in 2023 and has returned to the T20 fold this year with an eye on the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.

He won the toss in the first T20I against Afghanistan and opted to chase without any hesitation considering the dewy conditions. A funny incident transpired when he was talking to Murali Karthik after the toss about the Indian team combination for the match. Rohit said:

"The guys who are missing out are Sanju, Avesh, and Yashasvi, who did not pull up well. And then one more. I told you before the toss."

Murali Karthik then suggested Kuldeep Yadav's name. Rohit initially said that he is playing and then immediately corrected himself by stating that Kuldeep is not in the XI.

You can watch the video below:

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Rohit Sharma-led Indian T20I team begins their journey towards 2024 World Cup with a win vs Afghanistan in 1st T20I

Team India commenced their preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup with a fine collective performance against Afghanistan in the 1st T20I on Thursday.

Afghanistan batted first and notched up 158/8, courtesy of contributions from Mohammad Nabi (42), Azmatullah Omarzai (29), Ibrahim Zadran (25), and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (23). India then chased down the target without much discomfort in 17.3 overs to go 1-0 up in the 3-match series.

Shivam Dube's all-round brilliance was the biggest positive for India as they are looking for a backup option for injury-prone Hardik Pandya.

Dube utilized the opportunity well as he bowled a decent spell of 2-0-9-1 with the ball and then hit a match-winning 60* (40) to bag the Player of the Match award. Reflecting on his performance at the post-match presentation, Dube said:

"I think it was really cold but I enjoyed playing here. Batting at number 4, the pressure was on but then I knew I had to play my game. Probably from my side, I felt the pressure initially but then I carried on. I know I have the potential to hit sixes and change the game. Spoke to Rohit, and he said that I played well and will discuss more about the innings. Today, I got the chance to bowl and I tried to execute the plans that were set."

The action now shifts to Indore, where India and Afghanistan will square off in the second T20I on Sunday (January 14).