The 23-year-old Shaheen Shah Afridi left cricket fans awestruck by dismissing Indian captain Rohit Sharma in the fifth over and then striking down the mighty Virat Kohli in the seventh.
In a thrilling encounter at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, September 2, the Pakistan cricket team launched their Asia Cup 2023 campaign with a spectacular start.
Armed with the new ball, Shaheen Afridi showcased his prowess in swinging it both ways. While Rohit initially survived a close call when a boundary attempt off Fakhar Zaman’s delivery was dropped, his luck ran out in the fifth over.
Afridi unleashed his bowling mastery in the fifth over, commencing with two skillful outswingers that kept Rohit Sharma guessing. However, his crowning moment came on the final delivery of the over – a magnificent inswinger that hit and dismantled the top of Rohit’s off-stump to the astonishment of the crowd.
The 23-year-old bowler repeated the feat in the seventh over, stunning Indian fans once more by dismissing Virat Kohli. This time, the delivery clipped a thick inside edge before dislodging the leg stump, leaving Kohli in sheer disbelief.
Shaheen Afridi – The best bowler in the world.
— Abdullah Neaz (@Abdullah__Neaz) September 2, 2023
He has dismissed both Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli.#AsiaCup2023 #INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/yyAwMWpJds
The left-arm pacer achieved a remarkable feat by dismissing both Rohit and Virat in the same ODI, setting an unprecedented record.
Adding to India’s woes, Haris Rauf joined the party by sending Shreyas Iyer packing in the 10th over, with Iyer managing only 14 runs.
Despite looming rain threats, India won the toss and chose to bat first, maintaining an unchanged playing squad that included opening batsmen Rohit Sharma and debutant Shubman Gill in the Asia Cup.
Last Updated on September 2, 2023
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