Rohit Sharma (Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry photo)
New Delhi: India captain Rohit Sharma etched his name in the record books during the third ODI against Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.Positioned at first slip, Rohit grabbed the first three wickets of Afghanistan’s innings to become the fourth Indian player to take part in the first three dismissals of an ODI innings.
This rare feat has only been achieved by Sourav Ganguly against the West Indies in Baroda in 2002, Manoj Tiwari against the West Indies in North Sound in 2011, and Suresh Raina against Sri Lanka in Cardiff in 2013.Afghanistan’s innings got off to a disastrous start when Rohit completed the first ball of the match. Rahmanullah Gurbaz edged Prasidh Krishna at first slip and Rohit made no mistake.After a few overs, Rohit got back to work again. Rahmat Shah tried to deliver the ball towards the leg side but could only manage to get a leadoff catch, with the Indian skipper taking the ball safely.Rohit’s hat-trick came in the eighth over when Ibrahim Zadran edged another Prasidh Krishna delivery at first slip. The catch completed a brilliant sequence, with Rohit responsible for Afghanistan’s first three dismissals.
The same player who delivered the first three dismissals in India’s ODI innings
- Sourav Ganguly vs West Indies, Baroda, 2002
- Manoj Tiwari vs West Indies, North Sound, 2011
- Suresh Raina vs Sri Lanka, Cardiff, 2013
- Rohit Sharma vs Afghanistan, Chennai, 2026
India will be looking to complete the series 3-0 after already taking a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.