Watch: Rohit Sharma left displeased at cameraman during India vs Pakistan Asia Cup clash, asks not to film him
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Rohit Sharma’s displeasure didn’t originate solely from his dismissal during India’s Asia Cup 2023 opener against Pakistan in Pallekele on Saturday. The Indian captain was sent back to the pavilion with just 11 runs off 22 balls after the first of two rain interruptions, the dismissal leaving him unimpressed. However, the dynamic batsman, engrossed in the high-stakes showdown, had another reason to be frustrated during the break as well when a cameraman repeatedly got into his face. (IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2023 Live Score)
Rohit Sharma shows displeasure to a cameraman.
Amid the rain delay, the broadcasters attempted to capture a sound bite or a quick glimpse of Rohit in India’s dugout situated near the boundary. However, Rohit, who was mostly sitting in the dugout waiting to get back amid the action once rain relented, appeared visibly discontented with the cameraman’s presence. He politely requested that the video not be recorded and gestured for some privacy.
Despite starting his innings positively by cracking a couple of boundaries off Shaheen Afridi, the rain interruption broke Rohit’s concentration. On the third delivery he faced following the rain break, as he received a well-pitched length delivery from Shaheen, Rohit struggled to make contact. The ball darted past his defense, crashing onto the off stump, leaving India at 15/1 after five overs.
Following Rohit’s dismissal, Kohli also fell quickly. The former Indian captain, expected to be the anchor of the innings, was sent back after managing just a solitary boundary. In the seventh over, facing Shaheen, Kohli encountered a well-pitched delivery outside the off-stump. As the ball shaped inward, Kohli waited on the backfoot, but unfortunately, he could only drag it onto his own stumps, much to his dismay.
Rohit appeared equally powerless when witnessing Shreyas Iyer’s dismissal. Iyer, making his comeback after a lengthy absence, received a short ball from Haris Rauf in the 10th over, but his pull shot found Fakhar Zaman at mid-wicket, resulting in a stunning catch that left India at 48/3. Shubman Gill then became the fourth Indian wicket to fall before Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan’s rescued India out of troubled waters. Hardik and Ishan struck a fifty each, adding a century partnership for the fifth wicket.
For India’s Asia Cup opener, Rohit opted for two spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, leaving Axar Patel on the bench. Additionally, he chose to field three pacers, with Shardul Thakur replacing Mohammed Shami. Jasprit Bumrah, who returned to the squad during the Ireland T20Is, was also included in the playing XI.
