Rohit Sharma Recollects His Early Days With The Ball In ODI, Sending Chris Gayle Back To The Pavilion

(MENAFN- IANS) Mumbai, Nov 13 (IANS) Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma, who hosts the gaming reality show 'Family Full House with Rohit Sharma', has revisited the time when he was good with the ball as well.

In the latest episode of the reality show, the host recollected how he sent the West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle back to the pavilion during an important game.

He recollected his early days as a bowler and shares the story of picking up his first international wicket, which came against one of the most explosive batters in world cricket.

Rohit Sharma said,“We were playing in the West Indies, it was around 2008 or 2009, back then I used to bowl a lot, but I don't bowl now. At that time, we needed a wicket, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was our captain, he told me, 'Rohit, come here'. So I bowled 2-3 overs, and then I saw Chris Gayle standing in front of me, I was like, 'What just happened?'. But he hit me for 1-2 sixes, and then I got him out later. So that was my first international wicket in ODI cricket”.

The conversation then moved to Rohit's 1st hat-trick when asked,“When you took your first hat-trick, didn't you think you should start bowling again?”, he said,“Absolutely, at that time I used to bowl a lot. I really enjoyed bowling because I started my career as a bowler. Gradually, I started enjoying batting so much that my bowling decreased over time. Actually, I had a ball in my hand in 2014, and after that, due to a fracture, I couldn't grip the ball properly. I used to bowl off-spin, and for off-spin, it's essential to grip the ball correctly, to put revolutions on it. For revolutions, you need to press the ball properly and release it”.

“I'm explaining this in very simple terms, so I couldn't do it because there was no strength in my fingers. So, gradually I started bowling less and less until almost all my bowling stopped. But I really enjoyed bowling”, he added.

In the later years, Rohit Sharma, who is popularly known as the Hitman, is one of the greatest batters in Indian cricket history. He has achieved remarkable batting milestones across all formats, including the highest individual score in men's ODI cricket. He has also scored three ODI double centuries, a highest Test score of 212, and a T20I best of 121 not out. Apart from his batting brilliance, Rohit has established himself as one of India's most successful captains. Under his leadership, India won the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, and the Asia Cup in 2018 and 2023.

He also led India to the finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup and World Test Championship. In the IPL, he guided Mumbai Indians to five titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. With 103 victories in 142 international matches as captain, Rohit has demonstrated exceptional leadership, tactical awareness and the ability to perform under pressure.

'Family Full House with Rohit Sharma' is available on Sony Entertainment Television and streaming on Sony LIV.

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