‘Phenomenal captaincy masterclass in a do-or-die game’ – Twitterati baffled after Rohit Sharma doesn’t open against New Zealand

Rohit Sharma, to the surprise of many, didn’t come out to open in India’s match against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup 2021. The right-hander has been a fulcrum of the Men in Blue’s batting lineup, having plied his trade as an opener on a regular basis since 2013. The Champions Trophy in the same year turned his career around after he flattered to deceive in the middle order for India.

He has notched four T20I tons while opening the batting for India. Since the year 2019, Rohit has also shown that he can perform well as an opener even in Test cricket. On Sunday, October 24, it was the pair of KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan that came out to bat against the Black Caps in India’s Super 12 match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Rohit Sharma bats at No.3

The pair, however, didn’t succeed as Trent Boult got rid of Kishan in the third over of the contest after the Kiwis opted to field first. Kishan whipped the ball away on the leg side only to find Daryl Mitchell, who was at square leg. Rohit, meanwhile, came to bat at No.3 and got a lifeline right away. Rohit went for his trademark hook shot, which has fetched him so many runs at the highest level.

Boult dug the ball short and Rohit failed to time the hook properly. However, Adam Milne made a meal of a rather simple catch. It was the first ball that Sharma faced and he would have fetched back-to-back ducks had he got out. But the rub of the green went his way and he survived. Rohit was a tad circumspect as he dealt in singles in the next over he faced off Mitchell Santner

Rohit had a torrid time in the game against Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, at the same venue. He bagged a duck after a rip-snorter from Shaheen Shah Afridi pinned him in front. India could never recover from the early jolt and lost by 10 wickets. In the meantime, Twitterati were a tad baffled after Rohit didn’t come out to open the batting despite his stupendous numbers as an opener.

Here’s how the netizens reacted

@ImRo45 not opening is a crime

— Abhinay Laghate🇮🇳 (@abhinaylaghate) October 31, 2021

Crucial Game. @ImRo45 not opening. @ishankishan51 Gone. Already missing Mr.ICC @SDhawan25 .
#INDvNZ

— Krunal Panchal (@KrunalTweeets) October 31, 2021

Hit Man not opening 😎😎 that too with white ball 🤐@ImRo45 is the best to open 🎉#IndiaVsNewZealand #India #BCCI

— Praveen Arya (@The_PraveenArya) October 31, 2021

Oh god. Rohit Sharma 😱

— Ankur Lahoty, IIS (@Ankur_IIS) October 31, 2021

Rohit Sharma is not opening today .#INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/KtxfiVjPOl

— Cricket Memes (@CricMeZia) October 31, 2021

Rohit Sharma is not opening in this match we hope he will Play like that he used to play during 2007-2009 tenure.#INDvNZ #RohitSharma

— Vasu Jain 🇮🇳 (@vasu_1001) October 31, 2021

Rohit Sharma is not opening for India today.#RohitSharma #KLRahul #IshanKishan #INDvNZ #India #NewZealand #Cricket #T20WorldCup #indvsnz #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/mhjTPa6m3Q

— B E L L A 💬 (@iamikramblogger) October 31, 2021

Rohit Sharma not opening.. 😞🚶#INDvsNZ

— Scarlet Speedster (@ScarletSpeeds16) October 31, 2021

This is only the third time since 2013 that Rohit Sharma is not opening in T20

— All About Cricket (@allaboutcric_) October 31, 2021

Really frustrating to see @ImRo45 not opening in a knockout game. Rahul at 2nd would have given more confidence to VK#INDvNZ

— Budwiser (@siddharth_says) October 31, 2021

Rohit not opening seriously. @ImRo45 .

— Harshit Parsai (@harshitparsai97) October 31, 2021

Rohit Sharma playing a T20 match and not opening. All hail this phenomenal captaincy masterclass in a do-or-die World Cup game 🤡

— Ripper (@Ace_Of_Pace) October 31, 2021

Rohit Sharma is in team and not opening is big turn off 😪#RohitSharma

— Rohit M. (@rohitRBM) October 31, 2021

Some kirkit experts will say Rohit is not opening to avoid Boult. #INDvNZ #RohitSharma

— 👁️ (@darkhorse786_) October 31, 2021

Surprise surprise Rohit Sharma not opening.🤞

— Maneesh K. (@ManeeshKandpal) October 31, 2021