Indian men’s cricket team captain Rohit Sharma showcased his aggressive batting prowess in the third ODI against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, scoring a rapid 35 runs from 20 balls. During his innings, the 37-year-old captain struck six fours and one towering six, which equaled West Indies legend Chris Gayle’s record of 331 sixes, making Rohit the second-highest six-hitter in ODI cricket history.

Rohit’s feat came on the second ball of the fourth over, bowled by Maheesh Theekshana. With this six, Rohit matched Gayle’s record in just 265 ODIs, while Gayle had set the mark in 301 matches. The all-time leader in ODI sixes remains former Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi, who accumulated 351 sixes over a 19-year career spanning 398 ODIs.

Rohit, who debuted in ODI cricket on June 23, 2007, against Ireland in Belfast, has been a consistent performer for India. His 35-run knock also propelled him into an elite club of Indian cricketers who have scored over 2000 runs against Sri Lanka in ODIs, joining the ranks of Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni. Tendulkar amassed 3113 runs in 84 ODIs against Sri Lanka, while Kohli and Dhoni have scored 2652 runs in 56 ODIs and 2383 runs in 67 ODIs respectively. Rohit now has 2021 runs in 55 ODIs against Sri Lanka, including two double centuries.

Despite Rohit’s explosive start, India was unable to chase down the target of 249 runs, falling short by 110 runs in the final match of the series. This loss resulted in a historic series win for Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka, marking the first time in 27 years that Sri Lanka has clinched a bilateral ODI series against India. The last instance of such a victory was in 1997, during India’s tour of Sri Lanka under the captaincy of Sachin Tendulkar.

Sri Lanka’s triumph in this series marks a significant milestone and adds a memorable chapter to Asalanka’s captaincy, delighting home fans with a remarkable achievement against a formidable Indian side.