Rohit Sharma’s struggles against left-arm pacers continued as he fell to Shaheen Shah Afridi yet again during India’s Champions Trophy 2025 Group A encounter against Pakistan in Dubai. Chasing 242 for victory, the Indian skipper looked in sublime touch before being undone by a scorching yorker from Afridi.
Rohit, who had begun the tournament with a good 41 off 36 balls against Bangladesh, was clearly intent on making a significant contribution in this pressure game. He charged to 20 off only 14 deliveries, hitting three neat boundaries and a beautiful six over backward square leg. But just when he was poised to take charge, Afridi created a piece of magic.
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Bowling the fifth over, the left-arm yorker bowler delivered a barely-gettable yorker that came in late, slipping past Rohit’s defense and breaking his stumps. The early wicket provided Pakistan with a much-needed injection, bringing them back into the game after India’s boundary-fetish start.
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What a yorker by Shaheen Afridi
Rohit Sharma gone 🔥🔥
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This was not the first time Afridi had outsmarted Rohit. The Pakistani bowler notoriously got him caught LBW during the 2021 T20 World Cup, which paved the way for Pakistan’s record-breaking first-ever World Cup win over India. He did it again during the 2022 T20 World Cup in New York and the 2023 ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad, although India won both those times.
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Rohit’s susceptibility to quality left-arm pace has been long documented. The likes of Trent Boult, Mitchell Starc, and Mohammad Amir have given him trouble in the past by exploiting his tendency to falter against the ball that seamed late. Even as Rohit is one of the most potent openers in world cricket, his struggles with Afridi still remain the defining subplot of India-Pakistan encounters.
