After Rohit Sharma’s 155 off 94 balls on his Vijay Hazare Trophy return after seven years, teammate Sarfaraz Khan paid tribute on Instagram, using the song ‘Mumbai Cha Raja’ and captioning it ‘Pure Fire’ to celebrate Rohit’s match-winning knock.
Mumbai swashbuckling batter, Sarfaraz Khan, paid a special tribute to his teammate and former India captain Rohit Sharma on marking his return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy after seven years with a century in the opening match against Sikkim at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday, December 24.
In his comeback Vijay Hazare Trophy match, his first appearance since 2018, Rohit Sharma played a blistering knock of 155 off 94 balls to help Mumbai chase down a modest 237-run target, guiding the side to a convincing 8-wicket win and kicking off their quest for the fifth Vijay Hazare Trophy triumph in dominant fashion over Sikkim.
Rohit Sharma was so dominant throughout the run chase that the veteran Indian batter scored the bulk of the runs in both partnerships with opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Musheer Khan, contributing nearly 69% of the runs and leaving his partners to play second fiddle as Mumbai cruised to a comfortable victory without any real pressure.
Sarfaraz Khan’s Special Tribute to Rohit Sharma’s VHT Return
As Rohit Sharma dominated the Sikkim bowling attack with his blistering century knock on his comeback to the Vijay Hazare Trophy after a gap of seven years, Sarfaraz Khan paid a special tribute to the star batter with an Instagram post.
Taking to his Instagram handle, Sarfaraz posted a few pictures of himself and Rohit Sharma from Mumbai’s opening-match victory against Sikkim. The 27-year-old middle-order batter added the song ‘Mumbai Cha Raja’ to a couple of posts as a tribute to Rohit, acknowledging his majestic return to India’s List A domestic cricket with a match-winning century that guided Mumbai to a commanding win.
Along with the post, Sarfaraz Khan wrote.
“Mumbai ka Magic. 45 x 97 = Pure Fire.”
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‘Mumbai Cha Raja’ has often been used as a chant and phrase by fans to celebrate Rohit Sharma’s stature and popularity in Mumbai cricket, highlighting his iconic status and immense influence in the city’s rich cricketing culture. The chant was echoed across Sawai Mansingh Stadium, where the spectators erupted in unison, cheering Rohit Sharma’s explosive innings in Mumbai’s victory over Sikkim.
When will Rohit Sharma Play their Next Match?
Rohit Sharma confirmed to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) about his availability for the Vijay Hazare Trophy after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed the senior players to feature in the domestic tournament in order to be considered for the national selection. Rohit confirmed to play the first two matches of the ongoing VHT as per the BCCI directive.
After his match-winning century against Sikkim, Rohit Sharma will feature for Mumbai against Uttarakhand on Friday, December 26. The veteran Indian batter was earlier unavailable for the tournament, but later confirmed to make his return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Rohit retired from T20Is and Tests, and is solely focused on ODI cricket, intending to extend his illustrious career till the 2027 ODI World Cup.
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Since Rohit is playing only one format for the remainder of his international career, the BCCI wanted him and Virat Kohli to play as many domestic matches as possible to prove their match fitness, consistency, and form to be considered for India’s long-term ODI plans in build-up to the marquee event.
After playing his second and final Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Uttarakhand, Rohit Sharma will return to national duties when Team India faces New Zealand in the three-match ODI series starting January 11.