Hitman Fever in Gwalior: Fans Chant Rohit Sharma’s Name in Unison During 1st T20I vs Bangladesh

A wave of nostalgia gripped the Gwalior’s new Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium during the first T20I against Bangladesh on Sunday. The Indian fans passionately chanted Rohit Sharma’s name. Just a few months after leading India to its second T20 World Cup triumph, Rohit hung up his boots in the shortest format. Now, under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, a new-look team featuring young talents has stepped into the limelight. Yet, amid this exciting new chapter, the fans can’t help but yearn for Rohit’s explosive batting prowess at the top of the order.

After the SKY-led India defeated Bangladesh in the first T20I, “Rohit…Rohit” chants started echoing from the stands of Gwalior’s Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium. Several fans were spotted in the blue jersey featuring the name– “Rohit” and his iconic number “45.”

The moment was captured by a fan, who dropped the footage on X (formerly Twitter). “The Chants for Rohit Sharma during first T20I Match at Gwalior. The craze of Hitman Rohit.”

With the veteran duo — Rohit and Kohli — hanging up their boots, several youngsters have been incorporated into India’s T20I setup. Two debutants — Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy — made their appearances in the first T20I against Bangladesh.

Abhishek Sharma, who made his T20I debut during the Zimbabwe tour in July, opened the innings alongside Sanju Samson. Suryakumar Yadav batted at No. 3, followed by Nitish Reddy in the order. The bowling unit also saw some modifications, with Varun Chakravarthy spearheading the spin attack. He took a three-wicket haul, conceding just 31 runs in four overs. Arshdeep Singh also claimed three wickets, while Washington Sundar, Hardik Pandya, and Mayank each picked up one wicket.

Thanks to their dominant bowling display, the Bangladesh batting lineup crumbled like a deck of cards, managing to set a modest target of 128 runs. Abhishek Sharma provided a powerful start for India but couldn’t stick around for long. Sanju Samson contributed a quickfire 29, matching the same score as Suryakumar Yadav, who dazzled with a 200-plus strike rate.

Down the order, Hardik Pandya shone brightly, finishing the game in style. He was ably supported by Nitish Reddy, who remained unbeaten on 16. Pandya lit up the field with five fours and two sixes, scoring an impressive 39 off just 16 balls, wrapping up the match in a mere 11.5 overs.