'Was a little scared': Rohit Sharma opens up on pitch invader incident in Royals' game

Rohit Sharma (Pic: AFP)

Mumbai Indians (MI) opener Rohit Sharma revealed that he was a little scared when a fan entered the ground and stood next to him during IPL 2024 clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Wankhade Stadium.

The India skipper asserted that he was actually setting up the field while standing at the slips when this incident happened on April 1.

"He (the fan) just said I am a big fan and I want a hug. I said yeah hug but please don't do that otherwise you'll be in big trouble. I was actually trying to set up the field, standing at slip. Suddenly, Tim David, who was standing right across at mid-off, was pointing to someone coming behind me. I was not able to understand what he was trying to say. But this guy suddenly stood up next to me and I was a little scared honestly," said Rohit in the Club Prairie Fire podcast.

The MI player further spoke about the wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant. He stated that Pant is one person that makes him laugh a lot.

"The person who makes me laugh the most is Rishabh Pant. He is one crazy guy. I've been watching him since he was a kid and was disappointed for him when he missed a year and a half because of that incident (accident). And I am glad that he is back on the field. But he is quite witty and the kind of things he does behind the stumps makes you laugh," the 37-year-old player added.

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In the end, Rohit said when he usually wants to laugh, he calls Pant and then he says something and then they both laugh about it.

"He has got his way of doing things which is what I like about him. Even when he was recovering from his injury and not playing, he was still at his best at making me laugh. When I actually want to laugh, I call him, there is something he says and we all laugh about it" the right-hand batter concluded.

In the last fixture against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rohit became the first Indian to smash 500 sixes in T20 cricket. The highest number of sixes in T20 cricket is by West Indies legend Chris Gayle (1,056 sixes), followed by WI all-rounder Kieron Pollard (860 sixes), Andre Russell (678 sixes) and Colin Munro (548 sixes). In six matches this IPL season, Rohit has scored 261 runs at an average of 52.20 and a strike rate of over 167, with a century.

(With agency inputs)