Indian team skipper and star opening batter Rohit Sharma has played many memorable innings. He made Team India win many matches by playing a lot of big innings. The right-handed batter became one of the most destructive openers in the white-ball format in the last ten years.
The 35-year-old has smashed 9782 runs in 241 ODI matches with a brilliant average of 48.91, including three double hundreds. He has hit 30 centuries as well in his career. Rohit was also the highest scorer in the 2019 50-over World Cup, scoring 648 runs in the tournament. Here we will take a look at his three best ODI innings.
209 runs in 158 balls against Australia in 2013, Bangalore
The star opener smashed his maiden ODI double hundred against Australia in the final match of the seven-match ODI series in 2013. It was the series decider match, and Rohit’s cracking innings helped India to win the game by 57 runs.
Regarding Rohit’s innings, India opted to bat first after winning the toss; opener Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit started brilliantly. The right-hander batter started gradually but switched gears at the end. He scored 209 runs off just 158 balls, which included 12 fours and 16 sixes.
171* runs off 163 balls against Australia in 2016, Perth
India lost the 2016 five-match ODI series by 4-1, but Rohit was named the player of the series as he scored 441 runs in just five innings. In the series opener, the right-hander played a splendid inning and helped India to achieve a monumental total of 309 runs.
Batting first, India didn’t have a great start as they lost Dhawan in the powerplay. Then, Rohit smashed an unbeaten 171 runs off 163 deliveries, including 13 fours and seven sixes. After that, however, it wasn’t enough as India lost the match, courtesy of Steve Smith and George Bailey’s outstanding century.
264 runs in 173 balls against Sri Lanka in 2014, Kolkata
On 13 November 2014, Team India’s star batsman Rohit destroyed all the records while playing the most significant innings in the history of ODI cricket. Rohit also broke the record of Virender Sehwag’s highest ODI innings, 219, as he scored 264 runs off just 173 deliveries against Sri Lanka.
That was the fourth match of the five-match series between India and Sri Lanka, and Rohit created history by hitting another double century in his ODI career within a year. During his knock, he smashed 33 fours and nine sixes.