With an abundance of talent and technique that makes him a top hitter, he has a distinct rhythm to his innings in which he takes his time at first and then assumes the role of an aggressor to put pressure on the opposition. In an era when only eight batters have scored a double century in ODI cricket history, Rohit has done so three times.
As Sharma continues to play an important role at the top of the order for India, here is a look at the ten best ODI knocks by Rohit Sharma.
10. 111* runs off 119 balls vs. Pakistan | 2018, Dubai
Pakistan batted first and set India a challenging total of 238. Due to the deteriorating, dry ground and a full-strength Pakistan bowling line-up that included Mohammad Amir, Shadab Khan, and Hassan Ali, India faced a difficult chase.
Rohit, on the other hand, did not allow Pakistan to enter the game at any point during India’s innings. He hit a stunning 111* off 119 balls with 7 fours and 4 sixes to enable India to go to the finals with a resounding nine-wicket victory with more than 10 overs to spare.
He gave full respect to good deliveries and put away bad ones, rarely playing a false shot throughout the innings. He eventually led India to victory in the Asia Cup, finishing as the tournament’s best run-getter with an astounding average of 105.
9. 66 runs off 87 balls vs. Australia | 2008, Sydney
When Rohit Sharma joined Sachin at the crease, India was 3 down on 87 runs. One more wicket at that point would have triggered a major issue for India. Both batsmen batted well but cautiously, putting together a match-winning 123-run partnership.
Rohit battled fire with fire and demonstrated his rage to the entire world. He batted fearlessly for 66 runs with six boundaries, ensuring India’s victory. This was the innings that set the tone for the remainder of Rohit Sharma’s career.
8. 171* off 163 balls vs. Australia | 2016, Perth
Every batsman reaches a point in their career when they are at their prime. The Australia series in 2016 may have been Rohit Sharma’s best. In that series, he scored 441 runs in 5 innings, averaging 110. He seemed unstoppable in the series, scoring two centuries and one 99.
Rohit Sharma was withdrawing off the front foot on a fast surface as if the game were being played in slow motion for him. He batted the entire inning, hitting 13 boundaries and seven sixes.
7. 83 runs off 93 balls vs. England | 2013, Mohali
For a variety of reasons, this has to be one of Rohit Sharma’s most memorable innings. Sharma was not getting many runs at number four, but Rahane’s repeated failures at the top of the order prompted Dhoni to try sending Rohit to begin the inning for the first time in his entire first-class career.
Sharma scored a match-winning 83 while batting at the top for the first time to help India secure a 3-1 series victory. He dominated most of that inning, putting India in a position from which Dhoni and Raina could easily win the match and the series.
6. 208 runs off 153 balls vs. Sri Lanka | 2017, Mohali
This was a typical Rohit Sharma innings, in which he batted conservatively in the first part of the game, picked up steam midway, and then went totally bananas in the dying overs. He scored his third ODI double ton with 13 fours and 12 sixes, 10 of which came in the final six overs.
The highlight of the inning was Sharma scoring his 100 off 115 balls and then shifting gears quickly to bring up his 200 off just 38 more balls, leaving the Sri Lankan bowlers scratching their heads for ways to stop the onslaught.
5. 141 runs off 123 balls vs. Australia | 2013, Jaipur
In the second of the seven-match series’ two One Day Internationals, Australia gave India a challenging 360-run total. Before Virat Kohli joined them, Rohit and Dhawan built a 176-run partnership for the first wicket and thoroughly destroyed the Australian bowling.
Rohit Sharma showed the world what he is truly capable of by playing his natural attacking game throughout the entire innings. He scored 17 boundaries and four sixes in this ruthless performance, which helped India win by nine wickets in six overs.
4. 209 runs off 158 balls vs. Australia | 2013, Bengaluru
On a normal Chinnaswamy pitch, India won the toss and elected to bat first. The stakes were high because it was the series finale and an opportunity for India to win their first seven-match ODI series.
Rohit, as usual, took his time and scored his fifty off 70 balls. Once he got his eye in, he began to ramp up the pace and exploded in the final eight overs.
In the final over of the innings, he hit his maiden ODI double-century with a six over the covers off a Clint McKay delivery, bringing up his second hundred in just 42 deliveries. The foundation for India’s 56-run victory was laid by Rohit, who finished with 209 runs off 158 balls, including 12 fours and 16 sixes.
3. 137 runs off 126 balls vs. Bangladesh | 2015, Melbourne
India had advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals but was struggling on 115-3 after 28 overs against Bangladesh. Suresh Raina joined Sharma, and the pair added 122 runs in 15 overs to form India’s most significant partnership of the tournament.
Rohit fought his way to his seventh ODI century in a difficult scenario against a completely pumped-up and determined Bangladeshi outfit. They gave their all on the field, forcing India to fight hard for every single run in their innings.
India required someone to bat through the innings and guide the team to a respectable total. Rohit took over and helped India score 302, which was enough as Bangladesh fell short and India advanced to the World Cup last four.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma ODI World Cup Runs and Centuries in Every Edition
2. 122* runs off 144 balls vs. South Africa | 2019, Southampton
With no tremendous hitting or firepower, this was Rohit’s slowest ODI century, but it will be remembered as one of his greatest. South Africa was roaring in with Rabada and Morris, and with the surface spitting venom, batting was becoming increasingly tough early on.
Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli had both returned to the hut, making it even more worse, and India needed something spectacular. Rohit Sharma stood up in this circumstance, creating crucial partnerships with Rahul and Dhoni and playing one of the most responsible innings of his career.
He blasted 13 fours and only two sixes, indicating that his priority was to help India to a reasonable score rather than slam the ball around and risk losing his wicket. Sharma played a whole innings and served as the most competent anchor for India’s World Cup campaign.
1. 264 runs off 173 balls vs. Sri Lanka | 2014, Kolkata
During this fantastic inning, Rohit Sharma broke multiple batting records. He beat, bruised, and completely decimated Sri Lanka’s bowling attack. This was one of the most bizarre and amazing displays of hitting I’ve ever seen.
Rohit was slow out of the blocks at first, reaching his fifty off 72 balls. Nobody could have predicted what happened next, as Rohit briskly got into the full groove and completely destroyed the record books.
He has the third-highest List A score and the greatest ODI score in history. He was out on the penultimate ball of the inning, but he had hit 33 fours and nine sixes to reach the total of 264. He ended with the most boundaries in an innings by an individual and became the first international cricketer to score 250 in ODIs.
