Who gave Rohit Sharma his record 100th T20I cap? The heartwarming moment which went unnoticed
Amid Rohit Sharma’s record and India’s win, what went unnoticed was the moment when Rohit was given his 100th T20I cap or more importantly, the person who did it.
All eyes were on India stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma on Thursday before the start of the 2nd T20I between India and Bangladesh at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. Rohit made sure the situation remained the same even at the end of the game. Rohit, who turned up for his 100th T20I – only the second Indian after Harmanpreet Kaur – smashed 85 off 43 balls to lead India to an 8-wicket win against Bangladesh and level the three-match series 1-1. Amid all this what went unnoticed was the moment when Rohit was given his 100th T20I cap or more importantly, the person who did it.
It was Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dube, who handed Rohit Sharma his 100th T20I cap before the start of play on Thursday. That the Indian team management let a youngster like Dube, who made his India debut just a few days back in the first T20I in New Delhi, do the honours, speaks volumes about the environment in the dressing room.
Dube incidentally was handed his India cap by head coach Ravi Shastri on Sunday in New Delhi.
Rohit took to Twitter to express his gratitude and said he would always cherish each and every opportunity he gets to represent the country. “Be it whichever format, I’m indebted to have this opportunity to do something for the country. I have cherished all these times and will do so forever,” Rohit tweeted.
No other male Indian cricketer has managed to play 100 T20Is. Rohit, in fact , was only the second cricker in the world to achieve the feat after Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik, who has played 111 T20Is so far.
MS Dhoni is third on the list with 98 T20Is to his name.
“We were under a bit of pressure as we had lost the first match. The second T20I was important. We did all things right when I had hit three sixes in a row, I had decided that I would go for six sixes, but unfortunately, I missed out on the fourth ball. You do not need muscle power to score big sixes, it is about a combination of power and timing,” Rohit said on ‘Chahal TV’ after the match.
“From the team point of view, it was important to start in a good manner. It was important for one batsman to get their eye in and score big. I am a bit disappointed that I got out at the wrong time, but I am happy with my and team’s performance,” he added.
