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The India-England ODI at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack was a mixed bag of events for Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. While his aggressive stance with the bat marked his return to form ahead of the crucial 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, the ‘Hitman’ was seemingly annoyed at several instances of the game, one of which involved the DJ.
During India's chase, with the score at 48/0, Sharma was seen visibly annoyed by the Barabati Stadium DJ's music, which continued to play as the players prepared to take guard. After maintaining his composure for a while, Rohit eventually snapped and animatedly signalled the DJ to shut down the music, saying, "band kar," while mouthing expletives.
The incident happened after the players returned to the field following a halt of about 25 minutes owing to a floodlight failure. Rohit, batting on 29 at the point when the lights went off, was seen shaking his head in disappointment.
Incidentally, Rohit Sharma's aggressive emotions were on full display from the very start of the match. Earlier, he had rebuked wicketkeeper KL Rahul and bowler Axar Patel for missing a DRS opportunity to dismiss Joe Root, who went on to score 69 runs. Additionally, he also scolded pacer Harshit Rana for an overthrow that handed England a boundary.
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Despite these flare-ups, Rohit's magnificent century, his 32nd ODI ton overall, helped India secure a four-wicket win and clinch the three-match series 2-0. Further, his return to form with a robust 119 runs off 90 balls, an aggressive batting and focused approach signalled a much-anticipated return to top form, crucial ahead of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy starting February 19.
