“With the flick, he told Afridi, ‘Bete, aaj main taiyyar hoon’” - Sreesanth lauds Rohit Sharma for aggressive knock against Pakistan

Former India fast bowler S Sreesanth hailed Rohit Sharma for taking the attack to Shaheen Shah Afridi during the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 match against Pakistan. According to Sreesanth, while the preview to the contest centered on how Rohit struggles against the incoming ball from left-arm pacers, the Indian captain was ready for the challenge.

India thumped Pakistan by 228-run in their first Super 4 match of Asia Cup 2023 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Batting first after winning in the toss, in a match that was played across two days due to rain, India posted a mammoth 356/2 in their 50 overs.

Rohit got the Indian innings away with an aggressive 56 off 49 balls and featured in an opening stand of 121 with Shubman Gill (58 off 52) in 16.4 overs. On the last ball of the first over bowled by Afridi, Rohit nonchalantly flicked the left-arm pacer for a maximum to set the tone of the innings for India.

Speaking to Sportskeeda, Sreesanth opined that with his knock Rohit proved that he was up for the challenge of facing Afridi and co.

“There was a lot of talk that Rohit struggles when the ball comes in. But we saw, when the ball came in, it went out [for six]. With the flick he played, he told Afridi, ‘Bete, aaj main taiyyar hoon [Son, I am ready]’. Shaheen Afridi will always remember that flick. He may have dismissed Rohit many times, but even while sleeping he might be thinking about that flick,” he said.

After Rohit and Gill fell after crossing their respective half-centuries, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul took over.

Both smashed unbeaten centuries and featured in an unbroken 233-run stand for the third wicket - the highest partnership for India against Pakistan in ODIs.

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Sreesanth responds to Shoaib Akhtar’s ‘Kitne aadmi they’ tweet

India and Pakistan had earlier met during the group stage, a game which was washed out due to rain. The Men in Blue got a chance to bat and were bowled out for 266. At the start, Afridi cleaned up Rohit and Kohli cheaply.

Taking a dig at India, Akhtar tweeted a video with Sholay’s famous dialogue, ‘Kitne aadmi they?’. Sreesanth came up with a retort to the former pacer’s tweet after India’s win in the Super 4.

“Shoaib bhai had said, ‘Kitne aadmi they?’ [How many men were there?] It would also like to say to him, ‘Kitne aadmi they? Shaheen, Rauf aur woh. Teen’. But one man was enough - Virat Kohli. Instead of three, even if you bring five, things are going to be the same. India will always win,” he averred.

After India posted 356, Pakistan were bundled out for 128 in 32 overs as Kuldeep Yadav starred with 5/25.