Rohit Sharma dropped a catch on hattrick ball by Axar Patel against Bangladesh in their Group A match in Dubai on Thursday. The Indian captain’s failure to take the catch denied Axar the chance to become only the second bowler in the history of the tournament to reach the milestone, after West Indies’ Jerome Taylor in 2006.
Axar Patel’s Stunning Spell Interrupted
The drama took place during the ninth over when Bangladesh was batting. Axar Patel was throwing his first over of the match. He got rid of Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Mushfiqur Rahim on two consecutive balls, positioning himself for a hattrick.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE ROHIT 😯
Axar Patel misses out on a hatrrick vs Bangladesh as Rohit Sharma dropped a sitter in the slip region. pic.twitter.com/6h7txDasEN
— Sports Production (@SSpotlight71) February 20, 2025
On the following ball, Jaker Ali edged one straight to first slip, where Rohit Sharma was in perfect position to take the catch. The Indian captain, however, botched the regulation chance, to the dismay of Axar Patel and his colleagues.
Rohit’s Frustration and Apology
Rohit instantly realizes the enormity of the lost chance. He hurled the turf several times in frustration before turning to apologize to Axar Patel for the expensive drop.
Rohit Sharma apologizes after dropping a catch on Axar Patel’s hat-trick ball. The emotions say it all! 💔
📸: JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/CPyIwxS44e
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) February 20, 2025
Earlier, Bangladesh had won the toss and opted to bat first. India brought two changes to their playing XI, with Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja replacing Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy.
Bangladesh, however, went for a well-balanced bowling line-up with three seamers and two spinners. They also preferred Tanzim Hasan over the highly-touted Nahid Rana in the pace bowling department.
Axar Patel kept on throwing a brilliant spell, despite the lost opportunity, which put pressure on the batting order of Bangladesh. India will now aim to gain momentum in the tournament as they look to deliver another big performance in their next matches.
