Rohit Sharma all set to register big T20I record during three-match T20I series against Afghanistan

The star Indian captain, Rohit Sharma is on the verge of setting a significant T20I record as he is poised to become the first player in international cricket to play 150 T20Is. Rohit, who has been appointed captain for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, will be making his return to the format after a hiatus of 14 months. Notably, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had been absent from the T20I team since India's exit in the T20 World Cup semi-final in November, and their return brings experience to the squad.

Currently, the player who will likely feature in 150 T20Is making him the player with the most T20I appearances. Rohit is followed by the veteran Ireland player Paul Stirling, who has represented Ireland on 134 occasions.  The number third position will be occupied by George Dockrell who has also represented the Ireland nation 124 times. Next up on the list is Shoaib Mallik from Pakistan, who is known for his brilliant all-round performances. Mallik has represented the Pakistan team for 124 days.

Here is the list of players with their T20I appearances;

Rohit Sharma – 149

Paul Stirling (Ireland) – 134

George Dockrell (Ireland) – 128

Shoaib Malik (Pakistan) – 124

Martin Guptill (New Zealand) - 122

Rohit Sharma forgot the team after winning the toss

Fans celebrated the return of India captain Rohit Sharma to the T20I side in the first match of a three-game series against Afghanistan in Mohali on Thursday. At the IS Bindra Stadium, the crowd greeted Rohit with enthusiastic cheers as he walked to the middle for the toss. Winning the toss, Rohit announced that his team would chase under the lights. The ongoing match marked the beginning of the first bilateral series between India and Afghanistan. Despite the announcement that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Kuldeep Yadav were not included in the playing XI, Rohit provided a humorous moment by forgetting the team's lineup at the toss. This T20I match is Rohit Sharma's first since the 2022 T20 World Cup.

"We will bowl first. No particular reason, the pitch is good and it doesn't change a lot here. A lot to gain from the 3 games, we haven't had too much T20 cricket leading to the World Cup, and there's IPL, but this is an international game and we'll try to achieve a few things. I had a chat with Rahul bhai regarding the combination going forward and what we need to do as a group. That's what we'll try to do, but winning is the most important thing. Sanju Samson, Avesh, and Yashashvi (who didn't pull off well). Yes, Kuldeep also misses out," Rohit said at the toss.