Rohit Sharma helped India begin their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 campaign authoritatively after the Men in Blue defeated Ireland by eight wickets at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, June 5 (as per IST).
Rohit, 37, scored 52 off just 37 balls to help India chase down 97 with 46 balls to spare. However, the right-handed batter suffered an injury scare during the game and decided to retire hurt at the end of the tenth over.
The Indian fans who had assembled at the venue to watch the game looked apprehensive when they saw the India captain trudging off the field while gesturing to his right shoulder.
How did Rohit Sharma get injured?
The incident unfolded on the second delivery of the ninth over when Rohit failed to connect a pull shot and the delivery struck him on his right shoulder.
The ball clearly deflected off his upper shoulder and was safely pouched at backward point. The Irish fielders jumped to appeal but umpire Chris Gaffaney looked disinterested.
The Ireland players, including the bowler Joshua Little, converged and convinced their captain Paul Stirling to go for a review.
The replay suggested that the ball had clearly missed the bat and brushed Rohit's shoulder before travelling to the fielder at backward point.
Rohit provides an update on his fitness
'The Hitman' made his way onto the field for the post-match presentation and confirmed that he was "just a little sore" which clarified that his decision to retire hurt was simply a precautionary measure.
The India skipper mentioned that there was enough assistance for the bowlers on the pitch to keep them in the game. He lauded Arshdeep Singh for his ability to bring the ball back into the right-handers and also mentioned that there is not enough help for the spinners at the venue.
"Just a little sore," told Rohit during the post-match presentation.
"New ground, new venue, wanted to see what's it like to play on. I don't think the pitch settled down, there was enough there for the bowlers. Good to get the points. Stick to your basics, think about Test match bowling. Arshdeep can swing the ball into the right-handers and that set the tone. Don't think we can play four spinners here. If the conditions are there for the seamers, we wanted them in the squad. The spinners will play their part later in the tournament. We are open to making changes to the team's needs."
