World Cup 2023: It seemed like he was playing club cricket with kids – Aakash Chopra lauds Rohit Sharma’s aggressive knock

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra lauded Rohit Sharma’s blazing knock against Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Thursday. While chasing a below-par score of 257 runs on the board, Rohit Sharma provided a brisk start to his team.

Rohit added 88 runs off just 76 balls for the opening alliance with Shubman Gill, who went on to score a fine knock of 53 runs. The Indian skipper smashed 48 runs off just 40 balls, scoring seven fours and two sixes and thus scoring 40 of his runs in boundaries.

Rohit is currently the highest run-getter of the ongoing ODI World Cup with 265 runs in four matches at an average of 66.25. However, more importantly, he has scored his runs at a strike rate of 137.31.

Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “The way Rohit Sharma was batting, it seemed like he was playing club cricket with kids, that you hit whenever and wherever you want to hit. He plays amazingly against the short ball although he did get out to a short ball in the end. He got out because he pulled the ball from well outside the off-stump.”

The reputed commentator feels Rohit’s fans would have been disappointed after he could not go on to make a hundred.

“When you do that, you aren’t able to hit the ball in the air and drag it down a little, because when he hits in the air, it goes into the stands. The way Rohit is batting, it seems like he will score a century every time and we feel sad whenever he doesn’t do that.”

Chopra added that India’s openers – Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill – were sensational against Bangladesh.

“He (Rohit) was absolutely sensational and so was Shubman Gill. This was supposed to be Gill’s tournament. Everyone said Gill will be one of the highest run-scorers and probably the highest but he didn’t play two of the first three matches and got out in the third after hitting four fours.”

Chopra also showered praise on Shubman Gill, who scored a fine knock of 53 runs but missed out on a chance to get a big score after he was dismissed while trying to play a big shot.

“It can happen, you were coming back from dengue. He gave himself a little time at the start. It seemed like Rohit was in a different form and Shubman was giving himself time, and then boundaries one after the other to reach his half-century. He will be slightly disappointed as a century was there for the taking.”

India will next take on New Zealand at the Himachal Pradesh Association Stadium, Dharamshala on Sunday.