Rohit hits record WC ton as India crush Afghans
Thursday, 12 October 2023
NEW DELHI, Oct 11 (AFP): Skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday slammed a record seventh World Cup century as India hammered Afghanistan by eight wickets in New Delhi.
Chasing 273 for victory, the hosts rode on Rohit's 131 to achieve their target in 35 overs for a second straight win in the showpiece event.
Ishan Kishan hit 47 in a 156-run opening stand with Rohit and then Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 55.
Earlier, Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai hit half-centuries as Afghanistan reached 272-8 against hosts India in their World Cup clash on Wednesday.
Afghanistan elected to bat first at New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium which witnessed a World Cup record 754 runs scored in the previous match when South Africa posted 428 and defeated Sri Lanka.
The ground was a sea blue with nearly all of the 40,000 seats taken, many in anticipation of a big contribution by superstar cricketer and Delhi-born Virat Kohli.
But at the end of the Afghanistan innings it was pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah who stood out for the home side with his best World Cup bowling figures of 4-39.
Afghanistan slipped to 63-3 before Shahidi (80) and Omarzai (62) put on 121 runs to help Afghanistan recover.
Bumrah got Ibrahim Zadran caught behind for 22 and celebrated by pointing to his temple.