T20 2018: Rohit Sharma brought his A-game to the party when it was most needed

Rohit Sharma

Leaders aren't judged only by their ability to conceive and execute winning strategies. It is the leader's ability to fight from the front and win when his troops are faced with a daunting challenge, that matters. And that's exactly what Rohit Sharma did in MI's crucial encounter against Bangalore on Tuesday.

The challenge in front of both teams was daunting. The leaders of both teams are men of character and skill. Both leaders are also great admirers of each other's batting prowess. In a head-to-head, they would be equal, but in this outcome, one was supported by his troops, while the other's troops could not rise to his call. Umesh Yadav bowled two absolute peaches to get Bangalore off to a dream start. The ball which got Kishan out was almost unplayable for left-handers.

From then on, it was all about leading from the front. Rohit brought his A-game to the party. My words cannot do justice to the grace and poise with which he batted. And he had a worthy partner in Evin Lewis, who also kept up the tempo, and batted brilliantly for the second game in a row. But the visual treat of the game came was Captain Kohli. His intent seemed to finish the game in 18 overs, but with AB de Villiers gone too soon, the plans fell flat.

Kohli regularly plays Viv Richardsesque and Tendulkaresque shots, and this aggression and outcome leads me to believe that he played the more attractive innings of the match. He seemed disappointed, but kept his composure at the post-match chat.

Jatin Paranjape, the former international and national selector, tweets @jats72

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