On a pleasant December afternoon in Jaipur, Rohit Sharma was doing what he is known in the world for. As ‘Hitman’ fans in the Pink City received the greatest Christmas Eve gift, the former Indian captain played the swivel pull, the easily lofted six down the ground, and, for good measure, swept the pacers from Sikkim.
On a weekday, more than 20,000 people chose to flock to the ground, deciding that watching the maestro in full flow — and at no cost — was time better spent than anything else the city had to offer. His 37th List A century — a scintillating 155 off 93 balls — wasn’t just a measure of class and control; it was a celebration of pure entertainment.
It looked like a concert where fans had gathered to see their favorite musician perform a series of hit songs. It has nothing to do with a head coach who wants to “abolish star culture,” the BCCI directive, or proving anything to the national selectors.
By the time they left the stadium, the former India captain’s 18 fours and nine sixes had more than satisfied their hunger. The day was all about a hero and his supporters.
All routes headed to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium by nine in the morning. If a stadium is 80% full on a workday morning, one can understand why stars are so important to Indian cricket.
People skipped work, students bunked college and employees of the Rajasthan Sports Council, who had the best view from their building’s balconies, didn’t want to be left out either.
As supporters caught a peek of the star, the now-familiar cries of “Mumbai chaa Rajaa Rohit Sharma” (Mumbai’s King Rohit Sharma) echoed throughout the stadium.
A few thousand people left the arena after learning that Mumbai were fielding, hoping that Sikkim would have enough batting strength to let them see their hero bat for as long as they wanted.
The aggressive Rohit supporters then began yelling, “Gambhir kidhar hai, dekh raha hai na?” (Where are you, Gautam Gambhir? Are you watching?) RP Singh, a national selector who was seated close to the boundary line, might have also been the target of the chants.
The former India captain, accustomed to receiving praise for a considerable amount of time, just raised his hand to acknowledge his supporters.
The mood shifted when word got out that Sikkim had scored a respectable 236 for seven. Except for the seat above the dressing room, which was closed for security, none of the three stands had any empty seats.
Additionally, there were enough persons willing to sit dangerously on the edge of the terrace atop the Sports Council building, risking their bones and joints.
Every time Angkrish Raghuvanshi played a dot ball, he received jeers regardless of his existence.
However, the volume increased after Rohit’s initial pick-up swivel pull behind square off Kranthi Kumar. Truth be told, Sikkim’s bowlers — Kranthi, Palzor and left-arm spinner Gurinder — looked overawed, struggling to find both control and quality.
Half-trackers were excessively prevalent. In actuality, Rohit swept seamer Palzor behind square while on one knee. Who cares that two catches were dropped? Rohit’s 62-ball century and 91-ball 150 were followed by a brief moment of bat-raising because he was aware of the caliber of the attack.
At last, Kranthi Kumar’s wide delivery struck his bat’s edge off a tired looking shot. However, on a working day, there had been enough entertainment, and supporters started to leave the stands.
Before the Hitman celebration ended for the day, the stadium was filled with another unique Rohit Sharma rhyme: “Daal Baati Choorma, Rohit Sharma Soorma.”
On Friday, the “Soorma” (master) will perform again, and it looks like it will be packed.
