Rohit Sharma-KL Rahul’s record opening stand helps India post 210 for 2, highest total of T20 World Cup 2021

After getting hammered in their first two matches, the Indian cricket team turned up the head against Afghanistan in their Super 12 match of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

India surpassed their opponents Afghanistan, who scored 190 against Scotland in their last match.

After being put into bat first, the Indian openers Rohit Sharma (74 off 47b; 8×4, 3×6) and KL Rahul (69 off 48b; 6×4, 2×6) put on a rollicking 140-run stand for the first wicket.

Notably, Rohit and Rahul became only the second Indian opening duo to put on a hundred-plus stand for the first wicket in a T20 World Cup, after Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. This is also Rohit and Rahul’s fourth 100-plus opening stand in the T20 Internationals and only Pakistan’s stellar duo of Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan own more 100-plus opening stands in T20Is.

Rohit brought up his 23rd fifty off 37 balls just before KL Rahul hit his 13th half-century from 35 balls with the team score going past 100 in the 12th over.

Once the openers departed, Rishabh Pant (27 not out off 13b; 1×4, 3×6) and Hardik Pandya (35 off 13b; 4×4, 2×6) added 63 runs in just 21 balls.

For Afghanistan, Gulbadin Naib (1/39) and Karim Janat (1/7) picked up a wicket apiece.

Earlier, Suryakumar Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin replaced Ishan Kishan and Varun Chakravarthy in India’s playing XI against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

For Afghanistan, Sharafuddin Ashraf has replaced the now retired Asghar Afghan.