‘Oh Rohit Sharma! Only you can do that! Only you can make those frontfoot pulls so effortless and sexy!’ This was the general feeling among everyone who saw the ‘Hitman’ unleash his outrageous batting skills against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Rohit Sharma had come into this year’s Dream11 IPL on the back of two lean seasons with the Mumbai Indians. But, despite the six month hiatous, Sharma [80 off 54 balls] seems to have not missed a beat and has looked in cracking form right from the first ball he faced in the opening game against CSK.
But, unlike the last match where he gifted his wicket away to Piyush Chawla, Rohit was determined for a long haul on Wednesday, which is exactly what he did.
And, the Kolkata Knight Riders did not do themselves any favor as they continued to dish out half-trackers to Sharma.
Anything short, Rohit Sharma would rock back and nonchalantly smoke them over square-leg or cow-corner. Pat Cummins bore the maximum brunt as he continued to pitch it short and continued to disappear.
Rohit brought up his half-century in 39 balls and in the process he leapfrogged David Warner to become the leading run-scorer against KKR. Sharma celebrated his half-century with two back-to-back sixes of Kuldeep Yadav, thus becoming only the 4th batsman and second Indian in the history of IPL to smash 200 sixes.
The fun finally ended as the ”Hitman’ finally mistimed one straight to Pat Cummins, but that was not before he has enthralled one and all with his artistry.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to Rohit Sharma’s knock against KKR-
Talk about getting into positions nice and early for those pull shots! @ImRo45 is a champion! The ease with which he sends them over ? #mi #MIvsKKR #KKRvsMI #kkr
— RK (@RK_sports) September 23, 2020
Rohit loves scoring runs against #KKR Has been brutal with anything that is short!! Coming up to 900 runs with 1 x ? and now 6 x 50’s #Dream11IPL
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) September 23, 2020
Rohit Sharma is the finest and most prolific exponent of pull & hook I have seen among all Indian batsmen.. and arguably the second best Asian after Arvinda de Silva! Criminal to bowl short to him #ipl2020
— Navneet Mundhra (@navneet_mundhra) September 23, 2020
Most sixes hit by Rohit Sharma in an IPL innings:-
6 – for MI v KKR today
6 – for MI v KXIP in 2013#MIvsKKR #IPL2020— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) September 23, 2020
The 1000 run #MI club:
Tendulkar
Rayudu
Rohit
Simmons
Pollard
Hardik
And now: Surya ?Third-fastest on this list!#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #Dream11IPL #KKRvMI
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 23, 2020
Can someone ask #PatCummins if he has not seen @ImRo45 bat before or their analyst has not shown him the strength of the #hitman. If you bowl to him there, he will keep hitting you out of the park all day.#ProGyaan #IPL2020 #KKRvsMI
— Pragyan Ojha (@pragyanojha) September 23, 2020
Well played @ImRo45 ?????? ? #KKRvMI
— Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) September 23, 2020
The pull shot was designed to be played by Rohit Sharma….
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 23, 2020
Rohit Sharma and short ball. Beautiful love story #ipl
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) September 23, 2020
Is there a better sight in cricket than Rohit pulling genuine fast-bowlers for sixes? I don’t think so…. ?♂️ #WhatAPlayer #MI #MIvKKR
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) September 23, 2020
Rohit Sharma becomes the second Indian after Dhoni to smash 200 Sixes in IPL history ?
— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) September 23, 2020
Most runs against teams in IPL
875*Rohit Sharma vs KKR
829 D Warner vs KKR
825 V Kohli vs Delhi
819 D Warner vs KXIP
818 S Raina vs KKR
818 S Raina vs MIThe Hitman has just completed another fifty against #KKRvsMI https://t.co/CFy2aUcNVW#KKRvMI #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/dOQEfjo7XG
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) September 23, 2020
Unfit Rohit Sharma taking double & triple runs with ease. #KKRvMI
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) September 23, 2020
Rohit Sharma missed well deserved hundred. Still Very Well played @ImRo45 ❤️
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) September 23, 2020
Short ball to Rohit Sharma pic.twitter.com/N7WvfJVlDH
— Hrithik Roshan Fan (@iHrithiksSniper) September 23, 2020
2018 :
Rohit became 2nd Indian to score 200 ODI SIXES after MS Dhoni.2020 :
Rohit became 2nd Indian to score 200 IPL SIXES after MS Dhoni.— Merin Kumar ™ (@merin_kumar) September 23, 2020
Rohit Sharma and Saurabh Tiwary batting together.. This is like #MI sending 2 BMC bulldozer together.. #IPL2020
— Keh Ke Peheno (@coolfunnytshirt) September 23, 2020
SIX-MACHINE! @ImRo45 ?? pic.twitter.com/1ogrFUkAR5
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 23, 2020