Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian cricket team, has opened up about the incident that occurred in the first T20I against Afghanistan on Thursday, where he was seen yelling at his opening partner Shubman Gill after being run out for a duck.
Rohit and Gill had a mix-up in the first over of the match, when Rohit pushed a delivery from Mujeeb Ur Rahman towards mid-on and called for a quick single. However, Gill hesitated and sent Rohit back, who was too late to beat the throw from Mohammad Nabi. Rohit was visibly angry with Gill and shouted at him before leaving the field.
However, in the post-match presentation, Rohit clarified that he was not angry with Gill, but with himself. He said that he wanted Gill to forget the run out and focus on his innings. He also praised the performance of Shivam Dube, who scored an unbeaten 60 and took a wicket to help India win the match by six wickets.
“I was not angry with Shubman, I was angry with myself. I wanted him to carry on with his innings and not think about the run out. He is a young and talented batsman and he has a bright future ahead of him. I was just trying to motivate him and boost his confidence,” Rohit said.
He added, “Shivam played a brilliant knock under pressure. He showed great composure and maturity. He also bowled well and took a crucial wicket. He is a valuable asset for the team and I am happy for him.”
Rohit also lauded the efforts of the Afghan team, who gave a tough fight to the hosts. He said that Afghanistan have improved a lot in the shortest format of the game and they have some quality players in their ranks.
“Afghanistan are a very good team in T20 cricket. They have some match-winners in their side and they played with a lot of passion and spirit. They gave us a good challenge and we had to work hard to win the game. I congratulate them for their performance and I wish them all the best for the future,” Rohit said.
The second T20I between India and Afghanistan will be played on Saturday at the same venue. India will be looking to seal the series, while Afghanistan will be hoping to bounce back and level the series.