Rohit Sharma’s Super Over choice to “retire out” in the third Twenty20 International match against Afghanistan was praised by Rahul Dravid, who described it as “Ravichandran Ashwin-level thinking.”
Rohit Sharma retired hurt or out? It was the question on everyone’s mind as the Indian captain stepped back before the final ball of the first Super Over in the third and final T20 against Afghanistan, which the hosts eventually won to win the series 3-0. As it turned out, Rohit’s strategy was pure gamesmanship; India needed two runs off one ball to win at that point, and he wanted to use third batsman Rinku Singh’s superior sprinting talents to squeeze out that extra run.
However, the tone of the query became more intense as Rohit walked out to open the batting alongside Rinku in the second Super Over.
According to the rules, once a batter is ruled retired out, he is not permitted to bat again if another Super Over is required to determine the conclusion of the match.
So, how did Rohit get to bat again in the second Super Over? A match official then indicated that if the opposing captain or coach has no objections, a batter may bat again in the second Super Over.
India’s head coach Rahul Dravid saw a parallel for Rohit in R. Ashwin, who made a similar tactical switch during an IPL 2022 match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Lucknow Super Giants.
“This was Ash-level thinking. “Taking himself out was Ash-level thinking,” Dravid explained to the host broadcaster.
“I’m not sure (whether Rohit retired injured or not). Has a Super Over ever consisted of two? That’s my main point here. We continue to impose these new guidelines. In the news conference following the game, Trott stated, “We continued testing the guidelines and the rules. That’s what I’m trying to say.
Trott emphasized his position by claiming that they were not adequately informed of the rule pertaining to the employment of bowlers in Super Overs as well.
The pacer was not allowed to bowl in the second Super Over since he had already bowled in the previous one. Afghanistan intended to utilize Azmatullah Omarzai in that second Super Over.
It (the rule) was not conveyed. We were hoping that Azmat would bowl the second over again, but Fareed Ahmad did a fantastic job. However, going forward, these will be documented and clarified in writing.
It is excellent if those are the rules. The regulations shouldn’t be the main topic of conversation, he continued. I just think we had a great game.
But it’s possible that Trott, a seasoned coach and well-known former player, has simply forgotten that the Super Over regulations have been in effect since 2019 and that outside reminders are unnecessary.
However, there was still more drama in the game when Nabi’s and Gurbaz’s (the Afghan batsmen) three-run burst after wicketkeeper Sanju Samson’s throw bounced off Nabi’s legs.
Afghanistan’s 16-run maiden Super Over was made possible by it. However, Rohit did not hesitate to voice his disapproval to Nabi and the umpires.
Dravid didn’t worry too much about it, though.
It is a component of the game. It’s okay that there will occasionally be setbacks and frustrations. It’s clear that the ball struck the non-striker before moving.
“In the opening Twenty20 match, I believe the ball struck one of our batsmen in the back, and we also ran.” Thus, I don’t think it has any significance. You are free to run those runs even if the regulations say otherwise. That’s okay, he said.
