IND vs AFG 3rd T20I: Ton-up Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh’s half-century revive India after batting collapse

In a dazzling display of skill and resilience, Rohit Sharma, Team India captain, etched his name in the record books by smashing a sensational ton in the third T20I against Afghanistan at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Rohit and his partner Rinku Singh‘s stellar performance propelled India to a commanding total of 212/4.

India faces early jolts after electing to bat

Opting to bat first, India faced an early setback, losing four wickets with a mere 22 runs on the scoreboard. However, a remarkable unbeaten 190-run partnership between Rohit and Rinku turned the tide in India’s favour. The duo faced initial struggles, accumulating only 61 runs in the first 10 overs. Yet, after settling in, they dismantled Afghanistan’s bowling attack.

In a stunning turn of events, Rohit and Rinku added 58 runs in the last two overs, with a record-breaking 36 runs coming off the 20th over bowled by Afghan pacer Karim Janat. The partnership of 190 not out for the fifth wicket not only became the highest for India in T20Is but also marked the largest overall for the fifth wicket in the format. Rohit remained unbeaten at 121 off 69 balls, while Rinku contributed a powerful 69* off 39 balls.

R for Rohit, R for Rinku, R for Resilience! pic.twitter.com/yse9rV9lYD

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) January 17, 2024

Rohit’s remarkable feat extended beyond the match as he became the leading Indian run-scorer as captain, amassing a total of 43 runs. Furthermore, he achieved the historic milestone of being the first cricketer ever to register five T20I centuries, surpassing the joint record held by Suryakumar Yadav and Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who had four T20I centuries each.

Highest total for a team after being four down for 25 or less

• 212/4 – India vs Afghanistan, Bengaluru in 2024 (from 22/4)
• 188/6 – USA vs Ire, Lauderhill in 2021 (from 16/4)
• 174/10 – Philippines vs Cambodia, Phnom Penh in 2023 (from 23/4)