Indian captain Rohit Sharma delivered a match-winning knock of 119 runs off 90 balls in the second ODI against England at Barabati Stadium on Sunday. His explosive innings, featuring 12 fours and 7 sixes, helped India chase down a target of 305 runs in just 44.3 overs, securing a six-wicket victory.
Playing his 50th ODI as India’s captain, the 37-year-old right-handed batter reaffirmed his status as one of the game’s finest limited-overs batsmen. With this win, India, the world’s No. 1 ODI team, took an unassailable lead in the three-match series.
As India gears up for the final ODI against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 12, Rohit Sharma is on the verge of achieving another major milestone. Currently standing at 10,987 runs in 267 ODIs, he needs just 13 more runs to become the second-fastest player in history to reach 11,000 ODI runs.
If Rohit achieves this feat, he will surpass the records of legendary batsmen such as Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Sourav Ganguly. The record for the fastest to 11,000 ODI runs is currently held by Virat Kohli, who achieved the milestone in his 222nd innings.
Fastest Players to Reach 11,000 ODI Runs:
Virat Kohli (India) – 222 innings
Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 276 innings
Ricky Ponting (Australia, ICC) – 286 innings
Sourav Ganguly (India, Asia) – 288 innings
Jacques Kallis (South Africa, ICC, Africa) – 293 innings
If Rohit manages to score a century in the upcoming ODI, he will become only the third Indian batsman to register 50 international centuries, joining the elite company of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. While Tendulkar remains the all-time leader with 100 international centuries, Kohli has so far amassed 81.
During his heroic knock in the second ODI, Rohit surpassed Chris Gayle’s tally of 331 sixes in ODIs. If he manages to hit 14 more sixes in the third ODI, he will surpass former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi’s record of 351 sixes to become the all-time leading six-hitter in ODI history.
Afridi, who played 398 ODIs for Pakistan, held the record for most sixes in the 50-over format for over a decade. Rohit, known for his effortless power-hitting, has a golden opportunity to rewrite history in Ahmedabad.
With the series already in India’s grasp, the Men in Blue will aim to seal a 3-0 whitewash over England in the final ODI. Rohit Sharma, in sublime form, will look to lead from the front as India eyes another dominant performance in Ahmedabad.
