3 times Rohit Sharma proved to be very useful with the ball

It is a special day for cricket fans across the globe as Rohit Sharma turns 36. Since making his international debut way back in 2007, Rohit has come a long way.

Overall, he has represented India in 440 games, scoring 17,057 runs, including 43 centuries. He has created and broken multiple records along the way.

While he is now known for his sensational batting, those who have followed his career closely will know that back in the day, he was quite a useful bowler too. A finger injury ended his bowling career, which was quite promising.

On that note, here’s a look at three times Rohit Sharma did well with the ball in hand:

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#1. 4-6 vs Mumbai Indians, 2009

While representing the Deccan Chargers in IPL 2009, Rohit Sharma picked up a hat-trick against his current team, the Mumbai Indians. He eventually registered figures of 4-6, having bowled two overs during the innings.

His wickets included those of Abhishek Nayar, Jean Paul Duminy, Saurabh Tiwary and Harbhajan Singh. He was also the highest scorer for DC in this game, and his performance eventually helped his team win the game by 19 runs.

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#2. 2-27 vs West Indies, 2009

In an ODI between India and West Indies in 2009, India could only manage to score188 runs in the first innings as Ravi Rampaul bowled really well to pick up four wickets while conceding only 37 runs.

In response, WI chased down the total quite easily, losing just two wickets with 15.5 overs still remaining. However, Rohit Sharma was a revelation as he bowled phenomenally, picking up both the wickets whilst conceding only 27 runs in eight overs. All the main bowlers struggled and yet Rohit displayed great character to put up a fight.

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#3. 1-18 vs CSK, 2009

In a game between the Deccan Chargers and Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2009, CSK batted really well to score 165 runs on a difficult pitch. Rohit bowled three overs in the game, picking up one wicket whilst conceding only 18 runs in three overs.

What stood out was the fact that he bowled to the likes of MS Dhoni, Albie Morkel, Suresh Raina and Matthew Hayden but did not succumb to the pressure. DC eventually won the game in the penultimate ball of the game and Rohit's spell proved to be crucial in the context of the game.