CWC '23: 'Rohit is an ODI beast, does not...'- Chopra HAILS Hitman after India's easy win vs Afghanistan

Rohit Sharma-led India demolished Afghanistan by eight wickets in match 9 of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 edition on Thursday (Oct 11) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Being asked to bowl first, India rode on Jasprit Bumrah's 4 for 39 but Afghanistan managed a healthy 272 for 8 courtesy of captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (80) andAzmatullah Omarzai (61). In reply, India closed the run-chase in 35 overs courtesy of Rohit's sublime 131 and Virat Kohli's unbeaten 55.

Rohit was at his best from the word go during the run-chase. Hitman started off with a flurry of boundaries and ended with an impressive 84-ball 131, laced with 16 fours and 5 sixes at a strike rate of155.95. His knock led to India making light work of the run-chase, which could have been tricky had India lost early wickets. After the match, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra hailed Rohit -- who now has the most ODI World Cup tons (seven) -- and feels he doesn't get enough credit despite being a beast in the ODI format.

Chopra told JioCinema, "My focus for the chase was purely on Ishan Kishan. I thought that he played decently, was not the best but tried to hold his own, while he let the captain do all the heavy lifting on the other end."

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He added, "Rohit Sharma has made seven centuries in only nineteen games in all editions of the World Cup - what a player! He made those sixes look too easy. It is unfortunate that we don't give him enough credit - Rohit Sharma is an ODI beast. Whenever he puts up a monstrous performance, the match is always one-sided."

Rohit -- who also ended with the Player-of-the-Match award --broke several records during his 131-run knock, includingbecoming the joint-fastest 1,000 runs in ODI World Cup history. After his inning, he said at the post-match presentation, "It was a good pitch to bat on, just backed myself to play my natural game. I knew once I got my eye in, the wicket was going to get easier for me. Something that I have been working on for a long time. It's a special feeling to get a World Cup hundred. Really happy with that. Don't want to think too much (scoring 7 hundreds in just three World Cups), I don't want to lose my focus. You need to make such things count."

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