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Given his quality with the bat in hand, Rohit Sharma has underperformed in ICC knockout matches. The right-handed batter has a mediocre record in the knockout matches of the Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup. He has scored 193 runs in five knockout matches in CT. Rohit will have an opportunity on the 9th of March to add to that tally when India plays the final against New Zealand. He has played in both of the World Test Championship Finals that India has qualified for. He has a poor record in those two games, scoring only 122 runs at an average of 30.50.
Rohit Sharma has played three ICC knockout games against New Zealand. In those games, the form of the Indian skipper has been hot and cold. His performances have had a serious impact on the results of these matches.
In his first meeting against the Kiwis, the right-hander was dismissed after scoring only one run in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup. India went on to lose that game by 18 runs and was knocked out of the tournament. Matt Henry dismissed the Indian opening batter with a great delivery. He squared him up as Rohit edged the ball behind the stumps to Tom Latham.
Rohit met New Zealand once again in the semi-final of the ODI World Cup. This time around he was leading the Indian team as well. As a captain, Rohit has had great success in the tournament having won every match in the league stage.
With the bat in hand, Rohit played a great aggressive knock in his home ground, Wankhede Stadium. He scored 47 runs in only 29 deliveries to disturb the line and lengths of the Kiwi bowlers. He was dismissed by a well-disguised slower ball from Tim Southee. His knock allowed India to have a great start to the match and eventually score 397 runs. The Men in Blue won the clash comfortably, with a margin of 70 runs, thanks to a record-breaking seven-wicket haul from Mohammed Shami.
Rohit Sharma faced New Zealand in the final inaugural edition of the World Test Championship in 2021. The right-handed batter had an abysmal time against the Kiwis. He scored 64 runs across the two innings of the match. Rohit’s poor outing meant that the Indian batting lineup ended with under-par scores and went on to lose the match by eight wickets.
Like against New Zealand, Rohit Sharma has faced South Africa only twice in ICC knockout matches. In the small sample size of facing the Proteas, the 37-year-old has performed poorly. He has been unable to accumulate runs against the South Africans. Interestingly, on both occasions, Rohit has been dismissed by left-arm bowlers.
The first time Rohit Sharma faced South Africa in an ICC knockout match was in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup in 2014. India was tasked to chase a target of 173 in the second innings. The champions from 2007 needed a great start to the chase from the opening batter. He scored 24 runs in 13 balls, hitting four fours and a six. Rohit was dismissed by left-arm pacer Beuran Hendricks while attempting his signature pull shot. While the knock was played at a strike rate of 184.61, it wasn’t substantial. Luckily for Rohit, his teammate, Virat Kohli, produced a chasing masterclass to win the match for India by six wickets.
Rohit Sharma, playing his last T20I game, faced South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup in 2024. He was leading the side and was searching for his first ICC trophy as a captain. Having won the toss, Rohit decided to bat first. However, as a batter, he did not provide substance to his decision.
After smashing two fours against Keshav Maharaj, Rohit, in his attempt to continue to attack, lost the plot. He played a sweep against the left-arm spinner, but a fine diving catch from Heinrich Klaasen at square leg brought upon his end. India ended up with a score of 176 in the first innings in spite of Rohit’s failure. The bowlers, particularly Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, and Jasprit Bumrah, were right on the money as they helped India win the match as well as the trophy by seven runs.
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