Rohit Sharma has been one of the great batsmen of this generation in white-ball cricket. Particularly in ODI Cricket, he has been phenomenal for Team India throughout his career. He has won so many games for Team India and played so many crucial innings over the years. He is known to score big when he gets set. Today, we will talk about the ODI cricket journey of Rohit Sharma and will see his top 5 highest scores in this format. So let’s begin.
Rohit Sharma – A ‘GOAT’ in ODI cricket
India’s current ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma is one of the greats of the game when it comes to ODI cricket. He has made his name by playing so many crucial knocks, making big hundreds, and leading from the front. Whenever someone makes the best XI in ODI cricket history, Rohit will be one of the top openers in their team.
Rohit Sharma is known to play big innings, evident in his batting record. He is the only player to score 3 double hundreds in ODIs. The Indian captain also has the highest individual score in an ODI inning. He has scored 264* against Sri Lanka (SL) in 2014.
Best six-hitter in world cricket
Rohit Sharma can pick the length early. His lazy elegance and effortless shot-making ability make him a special player. He is the 2nd highest six-hitter in ODI cricket after Shahid Afridi. Rohit has 331 sixes in ODIs, 2nd most after Afridi, who has hit 351 sixes. But Rohit has played 111 innings less than the Pakistani batter, so we can expect him to surpass that milestone in the upcoming few games.
Most centuries in a single ODI WC edition
Rohit Sharma also holds the record for most hundreds in a single ODI WC edition. He has scored 5 hundreds in the 2019 ODI WC, scoring 648 runs at an average of 81.
Playing with intent and leading from the front
Other than the batting, Rohit Sharma is known for his calm captaincy and smart leadership. He brought positive intent to the team and started leading from the front. We have seen in his game in the last few years that he is taking more chances right from the word go, trying to apply early pressure on the opposition.
Generally, we have seen Rohit over the years, taking some time at the beginning before charging. But, in the 2023 ODI WC, he has given India some really quick starts at the top. In a few games, he missed out on an opportunity to score big, putting the team’s needs first rather than his record.
From a middle-order batter to an opener – A career-changing decision for Rohit
Rohit Sharma started his international career as a middle-order batter. He has played his first 70 innings (approx) in the middle order. Rohit didn’t have much impact as a middle-order batter. Then, in the Champions Trophy 2013, MS Dhoni decided to make an opener. Since then, he never looked back. He continues to shine at the top and made his name as one of the legends of ODI cricket. Now let’s see Rohit’s top 5 scores in ODIs.
Top 5 scores by Rohit Sharma in ODIs
(1) 264* against Sri Lanka (Kolkata)
As we discussed earlier, Rohit has scored 264* against Sri Lanka in 2014. While batting first, India scored 404 runs on the board. Rohit has hit 33 fours and 9 sixes in his inning.
That inning was more special because he was coming into this game after an injury break.
(2) 209* against Australia (Bengaluru)
Rohit considers this inning as one of his favourites because it came in a hard-fought series decider in Bengaluru in 2013. It was his first out of 3 double hundred. He was very close to breaking Sehwag’s 219* record. The right-hander eventually did in 2014 against Sri Lanka.
(3) 208* against Sri Lanka (Mohali)
Sri Lanka seems to be his favourite team when it comes to scoring double hundred. He again scored a double against SL in Mohali in 2017. Rohit’s 208* consists of 13 fours and 12 sixes.
(4) 171* against Australia (Perth)
In 2016, Rohit scored an incredible 171* runs in Perth against Australia. India, batting first, amassed 309/3 thanks to Rohit’s 171 off 163 balls, which included seven sixes and 13 fours. Despite playing that amazing knock, he ended up on the losing side as Steve Smith took Australia home with his 149 off 135 balls.
(5) 162* vs West Indies (Mumbai)
This is one of Rohit’s innings that we don’t talk about much. The way he batted that day on his home ground was a treat to watch. India scored 377 in the first inning and won the game quite comfortably in the end by 224 runs.
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Conclusion
So these are Rohit Sharma’s highest scores in ODIs. We have also talked about his journey in ODIs and some of his other records. Rohit Sharma is truly a GOAT in ODI cricket with his records, skills, and consistency.
FAQs:-
(1) How many players have scored double hundreds in ODIs?
A total of 10 players have scored double hundred in ODIs. Out of those 10, Rohit is the only one with 3 double hundreds. Other batters are Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Ishan Kishan, P Nissanka, Shubman Gill, Chris Gayle, Fakhar Zaman, Martin Guptill and Glenn Maxwell.
(2) Which player has scored a double hundred for the first time in ODIs?
Sachin Tendulkar has scored an ODI double-hundred for the first time. It was against South Africa on February 24, 2010.
