'Virat tried....': Rohit Sharma's honest take on Kohli's golden duck dismissal in IND vs AFG 3rd T20I

In a historic match, Rohit Sharma made history by becoming the most prolific century-maker in the history of T20I cricket. However, former captain Virat Kohli had a disappointing performance as he failed to score any runs. All eyes were on Kohli as India faced Afghanistan in the third and final T20I of the series, with hopes of achieving a massive T20 record upon his return to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) den.

This was Kohli's second T20I match since the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup, and he was just six runs away from reaching 12,000 T20 runs. Unfortunately, Afghan bowler Fareed Ahmad prevented Kohli from becoming the first Indian batsman to achieve this milestone before the T20 World Cup on Wednesday. Kohli's attempt to attack Ahmad from the very first ball did not go as planned, resulting in his dismissal on the first ball. Reflecting on Kohli's dismissal after the Afghanistan series, captain Rohit acknowledged the veteran batsman for his intent and determination.

"We only need to give the players clarity to the players about their position and the manner of cricket we want them to play with. The boys know what to expect when they come out onto the ground. As you saw today, Kohli tried to go hard from the word go, he normally does not do that, but he showed the intent. Same with Samson, he was out first ball, but the intent was there," Rohit told Jio Cinema.

Virat Kohli achieved an unfortunate milestone as the former captain of India recorded his 35th duck in international cricket. Surpassing his idol Sachin Tendulkar, who had 34 ducks in his international career. Kohli has accumulated an impressive 4037 runs in 117 T20Is for India, making him the first and only player to reach the 4k run mark in T20Is.

While Kohli's dismissal was disappointing, captain Rohit Sharma delivered a remarkable performance, scoring an unbeaten 121 runs, setting a new record. His outstanding innings helped India reach a formidable total of 212-4 in the 20-over match. Interestingly, Rohit had to bat three times as India faced two Super Overs to narrowly defeat Afghanistan in the 3rd T20I. In a post-match interview, Rohit openly expressed his desire to win the 50-over World Cup, considering it the ultimate achievement for an Indian captain. Rohit's leadership skills guided India to the final of the 2023 World Cup.

"See, I don't want to think about that right now. The 50-over World Cup is the ultimate prize for me, it's not like I don't regard T20 World Cup and the Test Championship as important events. I grew up watching the ODI World Cup, and when it happens in India, the vibe is unmatched. We tried our best, but unfortunately we could not win. The entire team was upset, and I am sure the people were quite angry as well. But now, we have an opportunity to win the T20 World Cup, and hopefully we win it," Rohit added.

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