Two super overs as Rohit Sharma hits record century in T20 series win
Captain Rohit Sharma hit a record-breaking fifth Twenty20 international century as India narrowly beat Afghanistan after two super overs.
Rohit scored 121 not out from 69 balls in the initial game, but it took the hosts two super overs to complete a 3-0 series sweep in Bangalore.
India recovered from 22-4 to make 212-4 from their 20 overs, before Afghanistan managed 212-6 to tie the game.
After the first super over was also tied, India won the second by 10 runs.
India, who had already clinched the series with a match to spare, lost early wickets, with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson making only five runs between them as left-arm seamer Fareed Ahmad (3-20) did the damage.
Skipper Rohit had been in poor form going into this game, having been removed for first-ball and second-ball ducks in his last two outings.
But sharing an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 190 from 93 balls with Rinku Singh, who himself hit 69 off 39 deliveries, Rohit charged towards his record ton off 64 balls, becoming the first player to score five international centuries in the format.
Rohit and Rinku hammered 58 off the last two overs, breaking another record for most runs from the final two overs of a T20 international.
In response, Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and captain Ibrahim Zadran both fell for 50, before the experienced Mohammad Nabi (34) and Gulbadin Naib (55 not out) added 56 from 22 balls for the fourth wicket.
When Nabi fell, the visitors still needed 50 from 22 balls, eventually requiring 19 off the last over, but Gulbadin helped level the scores to force a super over.
It was Afghanistan’s highest run chase in T20 cricket, beating the 191-5 they made against Zimbabwe in October 2015.
Batting first in the super over, Afghanistan lost Gulbadin first ball after he was run out by Kohli, as they made 16-1 but controversially ran an extra single off the final delivery after the ball struck Nabi’s leg while running.
In response, India matched Afghanistan’s 16-1, with Rohit retiring out before the final ball in order for Rinku to come in as non-striker to run a quick single off the final ball, taking it to a second super over.
Despite hitting 10 off the first two balls, India’s second super over ended a ball early as they made 11-2 to set Afghanistan 12 to win.
But Afghanistan’s hopes were dashed as their second super over ended when their second wicket fell at 1-2, as both Nabi and Gurbaz fell to Ravi Bishnoi without scoring.
It is not the first time two super overs have been needed to decide a T20 match. In October 2020, Kings XI Punjab beat Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League after two super overs. (BBC)
