Rohit Sharma delivered an impressive innings, scoring 119 runs off just 90 balls, marking his return to form after a period of struggle. The Indian captain is now alongside Sachin Tendulkar in an exclusive group of Indian batsmen and has also established a significant world record in One Day International cricket. At 36 years old, he achieved a century in 76 balls, making it the second fastest of his career in the ODI format.
New Delhi: Indian captain Rohit Sharma responded to his critics by scoring an impressive century against England in the second ODI on February 9 at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, leading India to a series-clinching win by six wickets.
The Indian captain scored his 32nd ODI century, achieving this milestone in just 76 balls, which helped India pursue the target of 305 with ease. Rohit ended his innings with 119 runs off 90 balls, boasting a strike rate of 132.22, featuring 12 fours and seven sixes.
Rohit Sharma’s century in Cuttack marked his 36th in international cricket across all formats since turning 30 years old. At 37, he has now established a new record for the most centuries by an Indian player after reaching this age, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar, who had previously held the record with 35 centuries during his 30s.
Rohit also etched his name in the history books by setting the world record for the most ODI tons by a player after his 30th birthday. Rohit is the first player to score 22 centuries in the 50-over format after his 30th birthday. Previously, Sri Lankan cricket legends Sanath Jayasuriya and Tilakartene Dilshan shared the record.
Since turning 30 on April 30, 2017, Rohit Sharma has achieved 22 centuries in One Day Internationals (ODIs), 10 in Test matches, and four in Twenty20 Internationals (T20s). Globally, only Kumar Sangakkara, with 43 centuries, has surpassed Rohit’s tally of three-figure scores in international cricket after the age of 30, while Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden are tied with him at 36.
In his impressive performance in Cuttack, Rohit achieved his 49th international century, surpassing Rahul Dravid’s record of 48 to become the third-highest century scorer in international cricket. He also exceeded Chris Gayle’s tally of 331 sixes and is closing in on Shahid Afridi’s world record of 351 sixes in One Day Internationals.
