Viral clips from Dharamsala have put Rohit Sharma back at the centre of attention, this time off the field. In one of the videos making rounds online, the India and Mumbai Indians batter is seen arriving at a restaurant where supporters quickly gather and surround him. What stood out in the footage was an apparent mix-up involving a group of foreign tourists, who seemed unable to identify the star despite his presence nearby. In the clip, they can be heard trying to confirm who Rohit was by approaching a fan for clarification, before the moment finally clicks when Sharma steps in and draws an immediate reaction from everyone around.
Mumbai Indians were in Dharamsala for their IPL 2026 fixture against Punjab Kings on Thursday, and the dinner outing became part of the larger spectacle surrounding Rohit’s popularity in the hill city. The same social media post also highlighted the “craze” for the right-hander during the night, with viewers reacting to the stunned expressions when the batter arrived.
PBKS vs MI: How Punjab posted 200 for 8
- Punjab Kings were asked to bat first after suffering four consecutive defeats, and they responded with an aggressive start.
- They built a 50-run opening partnership off 33 balls between Priyansh Arya (27) and Prabhsimran Singh (57), giving Punjab momentum early.
- Mumbai Indians paid for a dropped chance of Prabhsimran in the early phase, as the opener helped Punjab reach 55 for 1 in the Powerplay.
- From there, Cooper Connolly contributed alongside Prabhsimran, adding 57 runs to push Punjab beyond the 100-run mark by the 12th over.
- Deepak Chahar struck first for MI, dismissing Arya in the fifth over when a ball beat the batter and disturbed the top of off stump.
- Jasprit Bumrah, operating as the stand-in captain, was slightly unlucky to miss an earlier breakthrough after Naman Dhir failed to hold a straightforward chance off a thick edge in the second over; Prabhsimran made the pay-off by hitting Bumrah for two boundaries.
- Connolly got into rhythm in the eighth over, striking the first six of the innings off Raghu Sharma, then adding two more boundaries against Will Jacks.
- Prabhsimran then surged further in the 10th over, slog-sweeping Raghu Sharma for two sixes and launching Corbin Bosch for another maximum.
- He brought up his fifty with a single and followed it quickly with a six off Shardul over backward square leg.
- Punjab’s momentum swung sharply when Shardul, who had conceded 15 runs in his opening over, struck twice in the space of three deliveries.
- Shardul removed the set Prabhsimran and then dismissed captain Shreyas Iyer for 4, putting Punjab into a brief wobble.
- Raj Bawa continued the pressure by first castling Connolly with a cross-seam delivery, then completing a sharp short mid-wicket catch to send Suryansh Shedge back off Shardul.
- Shashank Singh was trapped LBW by Bosch, while Marco Jansen fell cheaply as well, with Shardul striking again in the 17th over to leave PBKS in serious trouble.
- Despite the collapse, Punjab recovered strongly late, scoring 53 runs in the final three overs as MI’s bowlers lost accuracy with their variations at the death.
- Azmatullah Omarzai spearheaded the fightback with a 17-ball 38 that included two sixes and a four, while Vishnu Vinod and Xavier Bartlett chipped in with crucial runs.
- Vinod and Bartlett added 22 runs off Bosch’s last over, helped by missed opportunities in the field and two dropped chances close to the boundary.
- Punjab ultimately crossed the 200-mark for the eighth time in the season, finishing on 200 for 8.
Omarzai’s late acceleration, combined with Vinod and Bartlett’s finishing touches, ensured PBKS ended with a competitive total despite the middle-overs damage caused by Shardul Thakur’s burst.
