Mumbai Indians (MI) opener Rohit Sharma used all his India captaincy experience to fool Delhi Capitals (DC) lead spinner Kuldeep Yadav by pretending to walk in the afternoon match on Saturday (April 4).
The incident happened in the ninth over of the first innings. Rohit attempted to sweep a leg-sided ball, and wicketkeeper KL Rahul caught it, before making a half-celebratory appeal. There was a clear deflection, and Kuldeep appealed, too, but the on-field umpire didn’t budge.
Just then, TV commentators spotted Rohit make a short walk towards the dressing room, as if he had accepted his dismissal, before stopping in his tracks. Seeing this, the Capitals skipper Axar Patel took the review, which was wasted after replays showed the ball had come
off Rohit’s pads.
One of the commentators, Ravi Shastri, joked that Rohit was trying to fool Kuldeep and making him take the review, and the Mumbaikar all but confirmed it in the mid-innings break, though he lamented getting out to Axar in the next over.
“I know Kuldeep pretty well, likes to take the DRS,” Rohit said. “So, yeah, I was just trying a little bit of luck there. But again, I got out pretty much in the next over. I couldn’t carry on. I wanted to take the game as deep as possible, but couldn’t do so. But yeah, a little bit of fun there with the guys out there. No, no, nothing like that. I was just trying to be, I was just trying to walk there. So, I know Kuldeep, he likes to take the DRS as soon as there is a 50-50 chances. So I was just trying my luck there. It turned out in our favor, but like I said, I got out in the next over. Wanted to bat deep, but couldn’t do so,” he added.
MI managed only 162/6 in the first innings but Rohit suggested it’s more than good enough for a slow wicket.
“Pretty slow wicket. Gotta get in, bide your time and then play shots. We managed a decent score. Hope we can squeeze them in the first six, take wickets. Shot-making not easy, we have bowlers who can exploit that. Early wickets will give us control in the game, then the spinners can take on. Even with the new ball, there was something in it. Can’t hit through the line,” he added.
