I love Odisha, historic Barabati is a lucky ground: Rohit to Odisha CM Mohan Majhi

As the CM extended his hand, Rohit warmly clasped it, and the two engaged in a brief but lively conversation on the ground, with Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Sanjay Behera looking on.

“Rohit played a scintillating century today. He not only regained his explosive form but also guided India to a resounding victory, securing the one-day series. During our conversation, he expressed his love for Odisha. He said, ‘I love Odisha very much, and Barabati Stadium is a lucky ground for us,’” Majhi told reporters.

Majhi, a cricket enthusiast himself, watched the match from the Legends Gallery alongside Padma awardees and other distinguished guests. He also shared the podium during the post-match award ceremony.

A photograph of CM Majhi, Rohit Sharma, and OCA secretary Sanjay Behera has gone viral on social media, with many users appreciating the interaction between the two prominent figures.

Rohit’s thunderous 119 off 90 balls, featuring 12 fours and seven sixes, powered India to chase down England’s total of 304 in just 44.3 overs. His strong opening partnership with Shubman Gill (60 off 51 balls) laid the foundation for the victory, as the duo amassed 136 runs in 17.4 overs. Shubman notched up his second consecutive fifty before Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel’s quickfire 40s finished the job. While Jamie Overton’s two wickets offered a brief moment of hope for England, it was too late to turn the tide.

England captain Jos Buttler’s decision to bat first on a ground where teams batting second have won 12 out of 19 matches backfired.

India’s all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja had a memorable outing, finishing with figures of 3/35 in his 10 overs. With this, he became India’s highest wicket-taker in ODIs at Barabati, surpassing Anil Kumble, Ishant Sharma, and Ajit Agarkar, each of whom had previously taken seven wickets at the venue.

England set a total of 304, thanks to fifties from Joe Root and Ben Duckett, along with valuable contributions from Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook, and Jos Buttler. However, their efforts weren’t enough to stop India from sealing the series 2-0, with the third and final match set to take place on February 12 in Ahmedabad.