‘Hitman returns’: India hails Rohit ton ahead of Champions Trophy

CUTTACK, India: India on Monday celebrated captain Rohit Sharma’s return to form after a match-winning ODI century against England on the eve of the Champions Trophy.

Rohit slammed his 32nd one-day ton to lead India to a series-clinching victory in the second match against the visitors on Sunday following months of speculation over his future.

“The Hitman Returns,” the Times of India newspaper triumphantly declared. The 37-year-old opener struggled in the 3-1 Test loss in Australia last month and was not involved in the final match because of poor form.

He got out for two in the ODI opener but regained his mojo in Cuttack to hit 119 off 90 balls in a knock of 12 fours and seven sixes. “The good thing is that before an important tournament like the Champions Trophy, scoring a hundred is a huge boost,” spinner Ravindra Jadeja said after the four-wicket win over England.

“It’s great for the team, and obviously, he himself knows his game well.” India will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 before a blockbuster clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai three days later.

The captain displayed an array of strokes with flicks, drives and his trademark pull to steer India’s chase of 305, won with 33 balls to spare. Rohit scored just 31 runs in three Tests against Australia and averaged 10.37 across formats in his previous 16 innings before the current series.

He quit T20 internationals after leading India to World Cup glory last year but the lean patch raised doubts over his future in ODIs and Tests. “Every time I walk on the pitch I want to try and do well,” Rohit said in a video posted on the Indian cricket board’s website.

“Sometimes it happens, sometimes it may not happen.” He added: “That mindset of how to get runs, how to score runs sounds very simple, but it is quite difficult.”

Rohit is 13 short of 11,000 ODI runs ahead of Wednesday’s final match against England in Ahmedabad. Star batsman Virat Kohli has also been under fire for underperforming and after missing the series opener due to a sore right knee, got out for five on Sunday.