Through the nine T20 World Cups: Rohit Sharma and Shakib Al Hasan have seen it all

Rohit Sharma and Shakib Al Hasan, the torchbearers of the new generation of cricketers, made their respective debuts in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. Both players had promising starts in the tournament, showcasing their undeniable talent in South Africa.

Rohit Sharma’s debut innings was a pivotal group match against South Africa in Durban in 2007. His maiden T20I fifty earned him the Player of the Match award and secured India’s place in the semi-finals of the tournament.

Shakib, on the other hand, played a crucial role in Bangladesh’s remarkable victory over West Indies in Johannesburg. A 20-year-old Shakib dismantled the West Indies middle-order, finishing with figures of 4/34. This performance helped Bangladesh secure their third victory in men’s T20Is with a clinical run-chase.

Shakib ended the tournament with six wickets, while Rohit played a significant role in India’s title win in the final against Pakistan. Rohit’s quickfire 30 off just 16 balls helped India post a total of 157, a score that proved just enough in a nail-biting finale.

The 2009 tournament started well for Rohit, who scored a 23-ball 36 against Bangladesh. Shakib eventually dismissed him. He scored a fifty against Ireland in the next game, but the subsequent matches were disappointing for the Indian opener as the team was eliminated in the second round of the tournament.

One of Rohit’s most memorable innings in the tournament was in 2010 against Australia in Bridgetown. Despite a losing cause, Rohit fought valiantly, scoring an unbeaten 79 off just 46 balls with only one other batter crossing double digits.

Shakib’s highest score in the tournament came two years later against Pakistan in Kandy, a 54-ball 84 that wasn’t enough to secure a win for the team.

On this day in 2010, a 23-year-old Rohit Sharma smashed a 46-ball 79* in India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash against Australia. Watch the highlights of his electrifying innings:

The star players arguably had their best tournament in 2014. Rohit was the second-highest run-scorer for India in their run to the final, while Shakib excelled with both bat and ball, scoring 186 runs and taking eight wickets.

Shakib’s Player of the Match performance (a spell of 3 for 8) against Afghanistan set the tone for Bangladesh in the home tournament.

Rohit starred with half-centuries in two of India’s first three games in 2014, against West Indies and Bangladesh, and made a quickfire cameo in the semi-final against South Africa in Mirpur. India went on to lose the final against Sri Lanka where Rohit made a 26-ball 29 from the top of the order.

Shakib had a fantastic tournament with the ball in 2016 in India, taking 10 wickets in seven games, including a 4/15 against Oman. But his best tournament as a bowler came in 2021, where he snared 11 wickets in at an average of 11.18.

He also made two forty-plus scores in the first round, but Bangladesh couldn’t go past Group 1. Rohit also had a good tournament on a personal front that year, making two fifties in five games, but India missed out on a semi-final spot with losses to Pakistan and New Zealand.

In 2022, Rohit Sharma led India for the first time in a T20 World Cup. Despite having an ordinary tournament with the bat, making one half-century in six games, the team made it to the semi-finals under his captaincy.

Shakib took six wickets in the tournament, including a vital spell of 2/33 against India in Adelaide in a game that went down to the wire.

Next month, the two stalwarts will once again appear at the T20 World Cup, making comebacks of their own.

Rohit returned to the Indian T20I team after a two-year absence and will lead the side. Shakib was sidelined for a couple of months with an eye injury, but made a successful return to the Bangladesh team in May in the bilateral series against Zimbabwe.

India are in Group A of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 along with Pakistan, Canada and Ireland being the other teams. Bangladesh are in Group D with South Africa, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Nepal.

‘Out of this World’ by Sean Paul and Kes: The official ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 anthem