IND vs ENG, 2nd ODI: Rohit Sharma silences his critics with a blazing 76-ball century in Cuttack (WATCH)
Rohit Sharma was on 96 when he danced down the track and lofted the ball over a long-off to complete his century in just 76 balls.
FollowTeam India skipper Rohit Sharma has managed to return to his form with a brilliant century in the second ODI of the three-match series against England at the Barabati Stadium in Odisha’s Cuttack on Sunday, February 9.
Rohit Sharma’s form was under heavy scrutiny by the cricket experts and fans alike following his dismal performance in the Test series against Australia, where he scored just 31 runs at an abysmal average of 6.2 in five innings. Also, the Mumbai cricketer didn’t have an ideal return to Ranji Trophy as he scored just 3 and 28 runs in two innings against Jammu and Kashmir at the Sharad Pawar Academy in BKC.
Team India skipper's return to international cricket after playing domestic cricket was not ideal as he was dismissed for just two runs in the first ODI against England at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Nagpur. This raised questions about his form and place in the squad. However, Rohit Sharma decided to give a strong reply to those who were questioning his form.
Chasing a 305-run target set by England. Rohit Sharma, alongside his opening partner and vice-captain Shubman Gill, gave India a blazing start to their innings. Rohit completed his half-century in just 30 balls and looked set to score his 32nd ODI century. Rohit Sharma was on 96 when he danced down the track and lofted the ball over a long-off to complete his century. The Indian skipper was soaking in applause from his teammates in the dressing room and spectators at the stadium.
Rohit Sharma’s century moment video here
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 9, 2025
Rohit Sharma’s stay at the crease after he was dismissed by Liam Livingstone. The Indian skipper played a brilliant innings of 119 off 90 balls. He was attempting to go for a six down the track but the ball ended up hitting the toe of his bat and Rashid Khan at the mid-wicket backtracked, kept the eyes on the ball and dived to take the catch. Rohit Sharma received a big round of applause from the crowd as well as the teammates for his phenomenal knock.
Rohit Sharma’s outstanding knock consisted of 12 fours and seven sixes and put India in a commanding position of 229/3 in 29.4 overs in a 305-run chase. The right-handed batter fell just 13 runs short of completing his 11,000 in ODI cricket.
Rohit Sharma overtook Chris Gayle’s tally of sixes in ODIs
Apart from Rohit Sharma returning to form with an extraordinary performance, Team India skipper broke the jinx with Chris Gayle to become the player with second-most number of sixes in the history of ODI Cricket. With seven sixes, Rohit has surpassed Gayle’s tally of 331 sixes.
Shahid Afridi holds the record for the most sixes in ODI cricket, with 351 sixes in 398 matches. Currently, Rohit Sharma’s tally of sixes stands at 338 in 267 matches and needs only 14 more sixes to break former Pakistan skipper’s all-time record. However, Rohit Sharma holds the record for the most sixes by a batter in international cricket, with 624 runs in 492 matches. He is the only player to smash 600 maximums across all formats of the game.
Rohit Sharma has the most number of sixes in T20Is, with 205 maximums, while he has hit 88 sixes in the Tests. Rohit Sharma retired from the T20Is after leading Team India to T20 World Cup triumph last year, but he continues to feature in other two formats of the game.
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