Watch: Rohit Sharma reveals the tale behind his viral bicep-flexing gesture to umpire Erasmus during IND-PAK game

Rohit Sharma delivered a scintillating performance, smashing a rapid half-century off just 36 balls, as India secured a commanding seven-wicket triumph over their arch-rivals Pakistan at the 2023 World Cup on Saturday. His explosive knock of 86 runs from 63 deliveries, including six boundaries and an equal number of sixes, set the stage for India’s emphatic victory at the Narendra Modi Stadium, captivating a crowd of over 100,000 fervent fans.

This win marked India’s eighth consecutive triumph over Pakistan in World Cup clashes, extending an extraordinary streak that commenced in 1992. India’s bowlers, spearheaded by the exceptional Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, played a pivotal role in this triumph. Bumrah’s spellbinding performance yielded figures of 2-19 from his seven overs, while Yadav’s crafty bowling secured 2-35 across his 10 overs. Their brilliance orchestrated Pakistan’s collapse from a formidable position of 155-2 (in 29.3 overs) to a meager total of 191 all out in 42.5 overs. Astonishingly, five of India’s six bowlers contributed with two wickets each, showcasing a collective effort.

While the bowling display was exceptional, it was Rohit who stole the limelight with his batting prowess. Rohit Sharma effortlessly exhibited his vast repertoire of shots, with standout moments including a precise pull shot behind square off Shaheen Shah Afridi and a powerful square-driven six off Haris Rauf, ultimately guiding India to a comfortable victory. Rohit Sharma’s exceptional timing and relentless display of aggressive strokes reached such an extraordinary level that it prompted an intriguing conversation between the Indian captain and on-field umpire Marais Erasmus regarding his explosive strokeplay.

During the live broadcast, Rohit was caught amusingly flexing his biceps to Erasmus, eliciting a chuckle from the on-field umpire. After India’s victory over Pakistan, all-rounder Hardik Pandya inquired about Rohit’s conversation with Erasmus.

“He was asking me how am I hitting so many big sixes. Is there something in my bat! I replied there’s nothing in the bat, it’s just power (pointing towards biceps),” Rohit replied.

Watch:

Rohit Sharma – A complete entertainer on & off the field. pic.twitter.com/KiutSCWmFY

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 15, 2023

India’s victory over Pakistan propelled them to the coveted top spot in the World Cup points table, having triumphed in all three of their matches thus far.