Team India captain Rohit Sharma has provided an explanation for his intriguing gesture of showing his bicep muscles to on-field umpire Marias Erasmus from South Africa during the ODI World Cup 2023 fixture against Pakistan in Ahmedabad.
The Men in Blue achieved a comprehensive seven-wicket victory, with Jasprit Bumrah being awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for his exceptional two-wicket performance in the first essay.
The playful exchange
Chasing a modest target of 199 runs, Rohit played a pivotal role with his powerful batting display, contributing a game-winning 86 runs from 63 balls. The intriguing incident unfolded during the 15th over of the second innings when Rohit struck a massive six off Pakistan‘s Haris Rauf and reached the non-striker’s end. At that point, he made a playful gesture by flexing his bicep muscles in the direction of the umpire Erasmus.
Rohit Showing Biceps To Umpire.#INDvsPAK #PKMKBForever #RohitSharma𓃵 @ImRo45 मौज कर दी😊 pic.twitter.com/zeYVlyQ2tK
— अमित पण्डित (नैमिष धाम 🙏सीतापुर वाले) (@Amit_pandit0) October 14, 2023
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Rohit Sharma reveals the reason
Hardik Pandya, the versatile all-rounder, approached Rohit after the game, eager to unravel the mystery behind that light-hearted moment. The 36-year-old candidly shared the details of the amusing interaction with the umpire. He disclosed that during the match, the umpire had inquired about the source of his colossal six-hitting prowess, playfully suggesting that perhaps it was because of a large cricket bat.
“The umpire asked me, how am I hitting such big and effortless sixes. Is it because of the bat? I told him it’s not my bat, it’s my power,” Rohit said.
Here’s the video:
— Rohit Sharma Trends™ (@TrendsRohit) October 15, 2023
India’s World cup performance
In terms of their CWC 2023 journey, Team India has maintained an unblemished record, winning all three of their games in the ongoing global showpiece event. Not only did their victory against Pakistan place them at the top of the points table, but it also significantly improved their Net Run Rate, which currently stands at +1.821. New Zealand, with an NRR of +1.604 and six points, are the closest competitor at the moment.
