VIDEO | Rohit Sharma puts K Gowtham’s mind game to the bin by converting wide to solid leg-kick

Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock got off to a very good start with the bat, and although Shreyas Gopal and Jofra Archer looked a bit penetrative, they went wicketless in the first half of the innings. Desperate for a wicket, Gowtham applied an intelligent strategy when he saw Rohit come down the track to him even before he could bowl the ball.

The incident in question happened on the penultimate ball of the 10th over as Gowtham saw the Mumbai Indians skipper pre-meditating the shot beforehand. Gowtham smartly darted it down the leg-side, in a bid to get the batsman stumped. But Rohit understood it very fast and to nullify the bowler’s plan, he extended his leg on the reverse direction like a footballer to send the ball towards square leg.

It would have been a wide and Rohit would have been safe considering the fact that Sanju Samson was on his stance outside the off-stump and may not be able to collect and dismiss Rohit Sharma. However, Rohit’s approach was the most fundamental of all and the safest as well. He couldn’t have taken a run though, because he had deliberately padded it away.