How Rohit Sharma Batted Twice In Double Super Over Vs AFG? Here's The Explanation

image-lriwkmfpRohit Sharma starred in India's win with his 5th T20I ton (AP Photo)

After India secured a victory over Afghanistan in the 3rd T20I through two Super Overs, a controversy unfolded. The Bengaluru match became the longest T20I in history, extending as the scores remained level at the end of 40 overs, and even the first Super Over ended in a tie. 

However, a controversy arose in the second Super Over when Rohit Sharma returned to bat.

In the first Super Over, Rohit had declared himself out. However, in the second Super Over, he returned to bat. Amidst the twists and turns of the final T20I between India and Afghanistan, this became a moment which caught many eyeballs.

During the India chase in the first Super Over, Rohit faced the first ball and hit the first two deliveries for sixes. Three singles followed in the next 3 balls, and with 2 required off the last ball, Rohit returned to the dressing room, which confused the Afghanistan players. 

This appeared to be a tactical move, as teams can 'retire out' a batter if needed during a Super Over to allow a more suitable batter to replace him according to the situation. However, it remains unclear whether Rohit was 'retired out' or 'retired hurt' in this instance, and this ambiguity is crucial to understanding the controversy, with some fans claiming that India cheated.

In the subsequent Super Over, the Indian captain batted again, sparking the controversy. According to the ICC, "Any batter dismissed in any previous Super Over shall be ineligible to bat in any subsequent Super Over."

If Rohit was 'retired out,' it means he has been dismissed. 'Retiring out' implies that the batter himself decides to dismiss himself to bring in another batter on the field. If Rohit was 'retired out,' he wouldn't have been allowed to bat again. 

Even Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott was uncertain whether Rohit was retired out or hurt.

Whereas, Rahul Dravid Dravid likened Rohit's decision to what Ravichandran Ashwin had done in IPL 2022, saying, "Taking himself out was Ashwin-level thinking. That's Ash-level thinking."

Meanwhile, by smashing hundred against Afghanistan, Rohit became the first batter to smash five T20I hundreds. Australia's Glenn Maxwell and the No.1 T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav are next on the list with three tons, respectively.