IND vs SA: Fan bypasses security, touches Rohit Sharma's feat, clicks selfie during 1st T20I

India took on South Africa in the first T20I in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday in front of a packed Greenfield International Stadium. In a cathartic moment during the match, an Indian fan broke into the ground, breaching the security, and touched the feet of the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma.

The Indian team was greeted at the venue by a huge crowd, with the fans even erecting a colossal 100ft cut out of Rohit Sharma, who has a huge fan following in Kerala. Loud chants of 'Rohit Rohit' echoed around the stadium when Rohit walked out for the toss in the series opener. 

India opted to field first on a green-looking surface at Trivandrum, and during India's bowling innings, an enthusiastic fan evaded the security personnel and ran onto the pitch. He touched the Indian skipper's feet to get his blessing and even managed to click a selfie before the security escorted him away from the playing area.

Coming to the match, India managed to brush away the Protean challenge thanks to a rip-roaring bowling performance from Deepak Chahar and Arshdeep Singh with the new ball. Although Rohit failed to make an impact with the bat, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav ensured a handsome victory for the Indian team with their respective half-centuries.

'We knew it wasn't going to be easy': Rohit acknowledged the tough batting conditions in the first T20I

Rohit lauded the efforts of his swing bowlers up front, who set up the massive win for the no.1 ranked T20I side in the world. He also acknowledged that the conditions were tough for batting, but Rahul and Surya did well to guide the team to victory.

“We started well, got 5 wickets in quick time and that was the turning point. Perfect showcase of how to bowl when there is help for the pacers (talking about Deepak Chahar and Arshdeep). We knew it wasn't going to be easy. Got to respect the conditions. Lost two wickets and that partnership between KL and Surya got us home,”  Rohit said in the post-match presser.

The victory in the opening T20I means that Rohit Sharma has now surpassed MS Dhoni for most T20I wins in a calendar year, leading the Indian team. Rohit has 16 wins as India captain this year, one more than Dhoni in 2016.