'Important to open your mind' - Rohit Sharma responds to Inzamam-ul-Haq's ball-tampering allegation

Rohit Sharma laughed off Inzamam-ul-Haq's allegations of ball-tampering against the Indian team after their decisive 24-run win against Australia in the T20 World Cup 2024 earlier this week.

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam was surprised by how early Arshdeep Singh got the ball to reverse-swing at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia. He urged the match officials to be alert when India are bowling.

However, Rohit brushed aside the claims, explaining that in hot conditions and dry wickets, like in the Caribbean, ball reverses on its own. The Indian skipper also pointed out that the ball is reversing for all the teams in the marquee event and asked detractors to "open your mind" before making baseless allegations.

"What answer will I give? If you are playing under the sun and the wickets are this dry, the ball will reverse on its own. The ball is reversing for all teams. Not just for us. Sometimes, it's important to open your mind (use your brain). You have to understand where we are playing. We are not playing in England or Australia," Rohit was quoted as saying by India Today.

Also read: 'Umpires should keep their eyes open' - Inzamam-ul-Haq accuses Indian team of ball-tampering versus Australia

Can India avenge 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final defeat?

India and England are set to collide in the second semi-final of the ongoing T20 World Cup on Thursday, June 27, at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. Interestingly, these two teams are squaring off in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup for the second time in a row. In the 2022 edition, England completely outplayed the Men in Blue in Adelaide, winning the lopsided clash by 10 wickets. They went on to beat Pakistan to win the coveted T20 World Cup trophy for the second time.

In the current edition India have sailed smoothly, having won six matches while one game was abandoned without a toss due to wet outfield. Meanwhile, the Three Lions have blown hot and cold, suffering defeats against Australia and South Africa so far.