Rohit Sharma's quick scoring helps India reach 205/5 against Australia in T20 World Cup

Rohit Sharma's explosive performance dismantled Australia's bowlers, leading India to a commanding 205/5 in their Super 8 Group 1 match at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 on June 24 at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium. Sharma's innings featured eight sixes, contributing significantly to India's total of 15 sixes in the game.

India's innings began aggressively with Sharma hitting a boundary in the first over. However, Josh Hazlewood provided an early breakthrough, dismissing Virat Kohli for a duck with a short ball that resulted in a well-judged catch by Tim David.

Sharma then went on a rampage in the third over, taking Mitchell Starc for 29 runs, including four sixes. His 19-ball half-century is the fastest in the ongoing tournament. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa's introduction post-powerplay did little to stem the flow of runs, as Sharma and Rishabh Pant continued the assault.

Pant was eventually caught by Hazlewood for 15, but India's run rate remained high. Sharma's blistering 92 off 41 balls ended when Starc bowled him, denying the captain a century. Following his dismissal, Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya kept the momentum going, with Dube contributing 28 runs and Pandya remaining unbeaten with a powerful 27-run cameo.

Hazlewood was the standout for Australia, maintaining an economical spell of 1/14 from his three overs, while his fellow bowlers struggled. Starc, Pat Cummins, and Marcus Stoinis were expensive, conceding runs at over 10 per over.

India's final score of 205/5 set a formidable target for Australia, highlighting the team's aggressive batting approach and strong performance under Sharma's leadership.