Team India opener Rohit Sharma needs no introduction whatsoever. The third highest run scorer in Twenty20 internationals as well as the Indian T20 League, his credentials as the captain of Team Mumbai since taking charge in 2013 has only grown over the years.
For someone who has won five Indian T20 League titles and is the only player in the league’s history to score 1000 runs against a single opponent, there is very little left to achieve.
A dynamic opener like him is always a tricky customer to bowl to. Give him room and the 34-year-old will punish you harshly. But there’s always that one weak spot that bowlers try to exploit and some have succeeded as well.
Bowlers who dismissed Rohit Sharma the most in T20 cricket
In his last three seasons in the Indian T20 League, Rohit has scored a lowly 5.77 runs per over at an average of 13 against slow left-arm bowlers and leg-spinners. And thus, it comes as no surprise that a certain Amit Mishra has made the opener his bunny.
Mishra alongside West Indies and Team Kolkata spinner, Sunil Narine, have dismissed the Mumbai captain a record eight times in T20 cricket. Former India international Vinay Kumar surprisingly sits third in the tally after having dismissed Rohit Sharma six times in T20s.
| Bowler | Number of dismissals |
| Amit Mishra | 8 |
| Sunil Narine | 8 |
| Vinay Kumar | 6 |
| Dwayne Bravo | 5 |
| Dhawal Kulkarni | 4 |
| Albie Morkel | 4 |
| Dushmantha Chameera | 4 |
| Sandeep Sharma | 4 |
| Siddharth Trivedi | 4 |
| Shane Watson | 4 |
| Umesh Yadav | 4 |
Now, although Rohit has a good record of 8.2 runs per over at a decent average of 29.52 against off-spinners in his last three seasons, Narine’s googlies have left him dazzled more often than not. The fact that Narine’s deliveries move away from the bat makes the Mumbai captain a little edgy and he ends up making a mistake as a result.
Furthermore, as many as seven different bowlers, which includes Dhawal Kulkarni, Albie Morkel, Shane Watson and Umesh Yadav have dismissed Rohit Sharma four times in his T20 career.
Keeping in mind his vulnerabilities, his opponents may look to deploy leg spinners more in the near future.
Featured photo: AFP / Noah Seelam
