IND vs PAK: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma both depart; India in deep trouble in New York

    As of writing this article, after the Powerplay came to an end (6 overs), India scored 50 runs and lost two wickets.

    Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

    Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

    First rain and now the tumble of wickets—surely not something Indian fans were expecting at the start of the high-octane game against arch-rivals Pakistan in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024. At the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, India lost their opening batters, Virat Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma, within three overs.

    First, rain interrupted play after the first over but soon after, Kohli (4 off 3) fell in the 1.3 over courtesy of Naseem Shah's bowling, while Sharma (13 off 12) departed in the 2.4 over thanks to Shaheen Afridi. 

    This led to a huge roar at the stadium from the Pakistani fans who were seen cheering for the fall of wickets. However, Indian fans looked shocked and stumped by this. Netizens took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their disappointment, frustration and anger over the "RoKo" duo departing so early in the innings.

    As of writing this article, after the Powerplay came to an end (6 overs), India scored 50 runs and lost two wickets. Rishabh Pant came in at No. 3 while the early promoted Axar Patel joined him at the crease.

    Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and opted to field in this must-win game for both teams in Group A. The Men in Green rested Azam Khan and brought in Imad Wasim, while Team India remained unchanged. However, whether the game will be played remains uncertain as rain looms around the corner and could potentially play spoilsport.

    The two also have Ireland, Canada and co-host USA in their group with the United States in fact topping the table with two wins and four points to their name.

    Teams:

    India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh

    Pakistan (Playing XI): Mohammad Rizwan(w), Babar Azam(c), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir.