ICC World Twenty20 2007 in South Africa was India captain Rohit Sharma‘s first-ever ICC tournament with the senior team. However, a very few people know that he could have played in ICC Champions Trophy 2006 at home as well. The right-handed batter had made it to the probables squad a year ago on the back of a maiden List A century but could never make the cut to the main squad.
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Sharma took time to spread his wings in international cricket, but the same wasn’t the case in the domestic circuit. A highly-rated prospect always expected to represent India, Sharma had left a mark in his first-ever tournament of representative cricket.
In fact, it was in his second List A match, a Deodhar Trophy 2005-06 clash between North Zone and West Zone in Udaipur, where Sharma had scored a match-winning ton to outperform one scored by former India batter Gautam Gambhir in the first innings. No wonder Gambhir was always so sure of Sharma having it in him to rule world cricket!
Rohit Sharma Was Part Of India’s Champions Trophy 2006 Probables Squad
Selected to represent India A during the tours of UAE and Australia next, Sharma had also received a maiden national call-up to India’s Champions Trophy 2006 probables squad.
In an interview with Hindustan Times as quoted by ESPNCricinfo in August 2006, Sharma believed that scoring a hundred in front of the then national selector Bhupinder Singh played a big part in getting him fast-tracked to the senior teams. A confident Sharma had admitted that he was expecting the call-up for the world event.
“I know people say that one should get the experience of playing the first-class level and then graduate to the highest level. Maybe they are right but there have been cricketers who have played international cricket early in their careers and done well. I see no reason why I would not be able to cope with the pressure.”
During the Top-End series in Australia, he made his first-class debut against New Zealand where he scored a brilliant half-century in the first innings. Sharma batted in the middle-order in List A matches playing a match-winning knock of 47* (50) against Pakistan. His Ranji Trophy debut, however, had come later in the year.
Unlike the contemporary era, selectors used to name a 30-member preliminary squad for ICC tournaments before zeroing in on a 15-member final squad. Sharma, who was unable to find a spot in the presence of first-choice names, was handed an ODI debut within a year.
Rohit Sharma Had Scored A Match-Winning Century In Just His 2nd List A Match
Less than a week after he scored 31* (47) in a successful run-chase against Central Zone on List A debut in Gwalior, Sharma reaped benefits of remaining unbeaten in the form of a batting promotion.
Chasing a 279-run target against North Zone in March 2006, the right-handed batter batted at No. 3 scoring 142* (123) with the help of 14 fours and three sixes as an unbeaten 184-run third-wicket partnership alongside Jacob Martin aided West Zone to achieve the target with 25 balls remaining in the match.
