Rohit to Treat Axar to Dinner After Dropping Hat-Trick Catch
A hat-trick opportunity is a rare moment for any bowler. Taking three wickets in three consecutive balls is no easy feat! That’s why, when a bowler takes two wickets in two balls, the fielding team usually resets its strategy, placing extra close-in fielders to increase the chances of dismissing the new batter.
Today, Axar Patel found himself on the verge of this special achievement. The Indian spinner dismissed Tanzid Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim off back-to-back deliveries, igniting hopes of a hat-trick. As expected, Indian captain Rohit Sharma adjusted the field, placing more fielders near the bat for the crucial third ball.
At the crease, new Bangladeshi batter Zakir Ali was feeling the pressure. In the ninth over, he edged an Axar delivery straight to slip. The perfect setup, the perfect chance—except Rohit himself dropped the catch!
Axar could do nothing but watch in frustration. After all, it was his own captain who had let the moment slip—literally! Rohit, too, was visibly upset, repeatedly hitting the ground in disappointment.
During the post-match presentation, Harsha Bhogle didn’t miss the chance to ask Rohit about the drop.
Rohit responded with a smile: “I will take Axar out for dinner tomorrow.”
He then admitted his mistake, saying, “It was an easy catch. Given the standards I’ve set for myself in the slips, I should have taken it. But these things happen.”
This wasn’t the first time Rohit struggled in the slips. Since 2023, he has dropped 10 out of 22 chances that have come his way in ODIs. Among fielders who have faced at least 20 catching opportunities in this period, Rohit has the worst record.
While Axar missed out on his hat-trick, at least he’s getting a free dinner from the skipper!
