IND v SL, World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma suffers rare failure, his poor run at Wankhede continues

Rohit Sharma was so looking forward to playing a World Cup game at his home ground in Mumbai but it did not go according to plan for the India captain against Sri Lanka.

At the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, November 2. Rohit was dismissed for just 4 runs in a rare failure in what has been a fine run in the tournament for the senior campaigner.

Rohit Sharma looked geared up for the contest as the Wankhede Stadium, as expected, was packed to the rafters after Sri Lanka won the toss and put India into bat on a hot afternoon in Mumbai. There were loud cheers when Kusal Perera said Sri Lanka would chase as the expectant crowd waited for fireworks from the India batters.

And the decibel levels only rose when Rohit Sharma began the Indian innings with a boundary. There were no half-measures as the skipper flicked a delivery down the leg side to the boundary. However, the crowd went silent in the very second delivery of the match as Rohit Sharma was out bowled.

Left-arm pacer Madushanka, who has been good with the new ball for India, continued his good run by coming up with an off-cutter to dismiss the India captain. Tjhe ball beat the outside edge of Rohit’s bat and hit the top of the off-stump.

Rohit Sharma has not had as much success as he would have hoped for in ODI cricket at the Wankhde Stadium in Mumbai. The India captain has managed just 50 runs in 4 matches at the iconic venue.

Rohit Sharma entered the game as India’s leading run-getter with a hundred and 2 fifties so far in the World Cup. Rohit battled on a tough pitch against England in Lucknow on Sunday, hitting a match-winning 87.

ROHIT’S NUMBERS AT WANKHEDE
16 vs South Africa in 2015
20 vs New Zealand in 2017
10 vs Australia in 2020
4 vs Sri Lanka in 2023

Virat Kohli joined Shubman Gill steadied the Indian innings as Sri Lanka’s new ball bowlers Madushanka and Dushmantha Chameera hit the right areas to back up their captain’s decision to bowl first.

Notably, South Africa posted in excess of 300 in both the matches that they played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.