Rohit Sharma has been one of the most elegant batters in Indian cricket history. He is known for his imperious timing and exquisite six-hitting ability. Rohit Sharma over the last decade has made his name as one of the best limited overs cricketers in the world. His record in the white-ball format since he was promoted as an opener in 2012 has been impeccable.
However, the last few years haven’t been great for the Indian opener but despite that, he is at the 4th spot in the list of top run-getters in IPL history with 6,472 runs. Rohit Sharma has been a part of the IPL setup since 2008 and over the years he has played some blistering knocks for his franchises. In this article, we will highlight the top 3 knocks of Rohit Sharma in the history of IPL:
1. 109* (60 balls) vs KKR – 2012
Rohit Sharma’s best IPL knock came way back in season 5, during the third match. It was his first century in IPL history and the only one till 2024. It was the glory days of MI when Rohit Sharma used to play alongside legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Herschelle Gibbs. The start wasn’t ideal though, with both openers Rohit and his teammate managing just 2 runs between them. But that’s when Rohit took charge.
He formed a powerful partnership with Herschelle Gibbs, and together they smashed through the bowling attack of Gautam Gambhir’s Kolkata Knight Riders. Rohit’s incredible innings of unbeaten 109 runs included 12 boundaries and 5 towering sixes. This helped his team reach a massive total of 182 runs against KKR.
2. 105* (63 balls) vs CSK – 2024
Rohit Sharma brought up his 2nd century in the history of IPL against CSK in the 29th match of IPL 2024. Although the innings came in a losing cause, it was one of the best innings of Rohit Sharma in IPL history. While chasing a steep target of 207 runs, Rohit gave MI a blistering start along with Ishan Kishan.
While MI was looking well on course to chase down the target, things went wrong when the third wicket fell in the form of Tilak Verma and after that MI’s innings got off track with regular wickets falling from one hand while Rohit blocked the other hand. In his innings, Rohit Sharma hit 11 boundaries and 5 emphatic sixes to bring the crowd on their feet.
3. 50 (24 balls) vs CSK – 2015
The 2015 IPL final was a nail-biting clash between two arch-rivals: the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Mumbai Indians (MI). MS Dhoni, the legendary captain of CSK, chose to field first, hoping to restrict MI’s score. But MI had other plans! Their batsmen went on a rampage and put up a giant total of 202 runs on the board, losing only 5 wickets.
Chasing a big target, CSK needed a strong start. That’s where Rohit Sharma, the MI opener, stepped up as a game-changer. He played a blistering knock, scoring 50 runs in just 26 balls! Imagine hitting a boundary with almost every other ball! This explosive batting by Rohit gave MI a flying start and put a lot of pressure on CSK.
In the end, CSK could only manage 161 runs, falling short by 41 runs. Rohit Sharma’s brilliant innings was a major turning point in the match and a big reason why MI emerged victorious and lifted the IPL trophy.