“We knew there was a risk” - Devendra Singh Bora reveals how he planned Rohit Sharma’s wicket on first ball

Uttarakhand right-arm pacer Devendra Singh Bora has opened up after taking Rohit Sharma’s wicket on the first ball for a golden duck in the Mumbai vs Uttarakhand Vijay Hazare Trophy fixture on Friday, December 26, in Jaipur.

Speaking after the match, Bora explained the plan behind Rohit Sharma's first-ball dismissal, stating how he, his coach, and the captain planned to test the Mumbai opener with an attacking bouncer right from the first ball, giving the catch to Kamlesh Nagarkoti at fine leg.

“Our plan from the start, as discussed with the coach and captain, we would bowl a bouncer to him. He plays the bouncer well, but we knew there was a risk that it could go for six. But our idea was that on the first ball we would attack with a bouncer. We knew there was a risk it could go for a six, but the idea was to create a chance with the bouncer," Bora told PTI after the match.

Furthermore, Bora was questioned whether Kamlesh Nagarkoti was intentionally stationed at fine leg for Rohit’s catch. To which he responded by stating that the field placement was very much part of their pre-game plan.

For the unversed, Bora entered into this match with very little List A experience, having featured in only two games in the format before the game. In Uttarakhand’s opening Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26 fixture against Himachal Pradesh, he scalped four wickets. 

Bora has been a regular in Uttarakhand’s first-class set-up, playing 15 Ranji Trophy matches so far and picking up 30 wickets. His standout performance came earlier this season against Bengal, when he picked up 6 for 79.

While Kohli has scored 208 runs in two VHT matches, Rohit has scored 155 runs in the same number of games.

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