Rohit Sharma Archives

Kohli breaks another Tendulkar record on Vijay Hazare return

BENGALURU: India ace batter Virat Kohli on Wednesday shattered yet another record of legendary Sachin Tendulkar to become the fastest to 16,000 runs in men’s List A cricket during the Delhi opening match in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Kohli reached the landmark in his 330th innings on his Vijay Hazare Trophy return. On the contrary, Sachin crossed the feat in his 391st innings.

With this, Kohli now holds the record for the fastest player to reach each set of 1000 runs from 10,000 onwards.

Fastest to 16,000 Runs in List A Cricket

Virat Kohli in 330 Innings

Sachin Tendulkar in 391 Innings

Gordon Greenidge in 422 Innings

Ricky Ponting in 430 Innings

Graham Gooch in 435 Innings

Viv Richards in 435 Innings

Nonetheless, Kohli hit 131 from 101 balls with the help of three sixes and 14 fours, which helped Delhi chase down a target of 299 against Andhra Pardesh in 37.4 overs.

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The right-hander scored ton on 84 balls with a muted celebration.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma also hit a ton and scored 155 from 94 balls, a knock which propelled him past David Warner.

Warner had registered nine scores of 150+ in his List A career, while Rohit Sharma also equalled the record with his majestic knock.

The ace batter’s knock was laced with 18 fours and nine maximums, powering Mumbai to an eight-wicket victory over Sikkim.

For the unversed, the players’ participation in domestic competition comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued strict guidelines for centrally contracted players.

The guidelines imply centrally contracted players’ compulsory participation in domestic competition in a bid to remain eligible for selection in the national team.

The policy was made in early January 2025 in the aftermath of India’s Test series loss against Australia down under.

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Kohli, Rohit set for demotion in BCCI central contracts: reports

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are reportedly headed for a demotion in the upcoming BCCI central contracts cycle for 2025–26, with Indian media claiming the matter will be taken up during the cricket board’s apex council meeting on December 22.

According to the reports, the BCCI is expected to revisit the grading of its senior-most players, with Kohli and Rohit likely to drop from the top A+ bracket due to their reduced involvement in India’s multi-format setup.

Both players stepped away from T20Is following the 2024 World Cup and later withdrew from Test cricket earlier this year, leaving ODI cricket as their only active format.

The BCCI’s central contracts are divided into four tiers, A+, A, B, and C, with the highest category reserved for India’s premier all-format performers.

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With the shift in roles and reduced availability of the senior pair, India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill is expected to be promoted to the A+ list.

Kohli and Rohit continued to hold A+ contracts in the 2024–25 cycle alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja despite their retirements from longer formats.

However, the latest reports indicate that the board is now prepared to adjust their status, marking the first major revision to their positioning in several years.

A demotion would also mean a financial hit for the two modern greats. The A+ category carries an annual retainer of INR 7 crore, while the A bracket offers INR 5 crore, a reduction of INR 2 crore per player.

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Shahid Afridi praises record-breaking Rohit Sharma

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi praised India’s talismanic batter Rohit Sharma for breaking his record of hitting the most sixes in One Day Internationals (ODIs).

A week earlier, Sharma etched his name into the history books after shattering Shahid Afridi’s record for most sixes in ODIs during the clash against South Africa.

The right-handed batter reached the landmark in his 277th match.

Most Sixes in ODIs

RG Sharma (IND): 2007–2025 — 271 inns, 11516 runs, 355 sixes

Shahid Afridi (PAK): 1996–2015 — 369 inns, 8,064 runs, 351 sixes

Chris Gayle (WI): 1999–2019 — 294 inns, 10,480 runs, 331 sixes

Sanath Jayasuriya (SL): 1989–2011 — 433 inns, 13,430 runs, 270 sixes

MS Dhoni (IND): 2004–2019 — 297 inns, 10,773 runs, 229 sixes

Afridi, who held the record for 15 years, spoke about Sharma’s ability and expressed his views on the feat.

“Records are meant to be broken, and this too is now bettered. I am happy that a player I have always liked has broken this record,” he said.

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My record of the fastest century stood for nearly 18 years, but it was finally broken. Records are set by one player, and another comes and breaks them. This is cricket,” Afridi explained.

“I played alongside Rohit for the Deccan Chargers in my only IPL season. During practice, I watched him bat, and his class impressed me. I knew he would one day play for India, and he has proved himself as a classy batter.”

The six-hitting maestro also talked about the ace duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, calling them the cornerstones of India’s batting line-up.

“It’s a fact that Virat and Rohit are the backbones of the Indian batting line-up, and the way they have played in the recent ODI series, it can confidently be said that they can play until the 2027 World Cup,” the 48-year-old said.

“You need to preserve both these players. When India face weaker teams, they can try some new players and rest Virat and Rohit,” he added.

He also slammed India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, for his decisions.

“The way Gautam started his stint, it looked like he thought whatever he says is right. But after some time, it is proven that you are not always right,” he concluded.

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Virat Kohli closes in on leader Rohit Sharma in ODI Batting Rankings

DUBAI: Virat Kohli continued his climb back toward the top of ODI batting, with the India great making noteworthy gains in the latest ICC Men’s Player Rankings.

Once the No. 1-ranked ODI batter for over three years, Kohli has not held the top spot since Babar Azam overtook him in April 2021.

However, his resurgence has been fuelled by a prolific three-match ODI series against South Africa, where he amassed 302 runs and was named Player of the Series.

His consistency pushed him two places up to No.2 in the ODI batting charts, now sitting just eight rating points behind teammate and current top-ranked batter Rohit Sharma.

Rohit, who scored 146 runs during the series, retained his position at the summit.

India’s next ODI assignment, a home series against New Zealand beginning January 11, now carries added intrigue, with Rohit and Kohli set for a direct battle for the premier batting spot.

KL Rahul also continued his steady rise, moving up two places to No.12 following his reliable contributions through the South Africa series.

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In the bowling department, Kuldeep Yadav was the standout mover, climbing three spots to No.3 among ODI bowlers.

South Africa’s batters also reaped rewards despite losing the series 2–1, with Quinton de Kock jumping to No.13, Aiden Markram up to 25th, and Temba Bavuma reaching 37th in the ODI rankings.

There was movement in the T20I charts as well, most notably with South Africa’s Dewald Brevis breaking into the top 10. The 21-year-old moved up three places to eighth after South Africa’s opening T20I against India.

Among bowlers, India’s dominant win in Cuttack propelled Axar Patel (13th), Arshdeep Singh (20th), and Jasprit Bumrah (25th) up the pecking order.

In Tests, Australia’s Mitchell Starc made one of the week’s biggest leaps. Consecutive Player-of-the-Match performances in the first two Ashes Tests, where he collected 18 wickets, lifted the left-armer three places to a career-best No.3 ranking.

Meanwhile, England’s batting struggles saw Harry Brook slip to fourth, with Kane Williamson and Steve Smith each climbing a spot behind Joe Root.

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Rohit Sharma joins Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar in elite list

VISAKHAPATNAM: Rohit Sharma has added another glittering chapter to his storied career as he joined teammate Virat Kohli, as well as legendary Sachin Tendulkar, in an elite list of Indian batters.

During the third ODI against South Africa at the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Sharma became the fourth Indian batter in history to cross 20,000 runs in international cricket.

He reached the landmark while nudging a length delivery from Keshav Maharaj into the leg side for a single in the 14th over. That run, his 27th of the innings, pushed him into an elite club alongside Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid.

Rohit has now amassed 20,048 runs across formats in 538 innings, continuing a career defined by longevity, elegance, and big-match temperament.

Only Tendulkar (34,357), Kohli (27,910) and Dravid (24,208) have scored more for India at the international level.

Most international runs for India

Sachin Tendulkar – 34357 runs in 782 innings

Virat Kohli – 27975 runs in 622 innings

Rahul Dravid – 24208 runs in 605 innings

Rohit Sharma – 20048 runs in 538 innings

Sourav Ganguly – 18575 runs in 488 innings

Once the milestone was out of the way, Rohit shifted gears, crafting a fluent 75 off 73 balls, decorated with seven fours and three booming sixes, before Maharaj returned to remove him in the 26th over.

His innings laid the perfect platform for India in the series decider. From there, the hosts barely broke a sweat.

Yashasvi Jaiswal turned the chase into a one-man exhibition, smashing an unbeaten 116, while Virat Kohli chipped in with a controlled 65* as India cruised to a nine-wicket win with overs to spare.

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South Africa, earlier put into bat, were lifted to 270 courtesy of a vintage Quinton de Kock hundred.

The left-hander hammered 106 off 89 balls, striking eight fours and six sixes in a typically authoritative knock.

Captain Temba Bavuma offered support with 48 off 67, but the visitors ultimately fell short as India’s bowlers tightened the screws in the final phase of the innings, bundling them out in 47.5 overs.

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Virat Kohli inches closer to top-ranked Rohit Sharma in ODI Batting Rankings

DUBAI: Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli has closed the gap with fellow countryman Rohit Sharma in the latest ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings.

Kohli slammed 135 runs off just 120 balls in the first ODI against South Africa, which was his 83rd century in international cricket.

This knock propelled him up one spot to fourth in the latest rankings with 751 rating points, just 32 shy of Rohit Sharma, who continues to hold the top position.

New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell sits second with 766 points, while Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran occupies third place with 764.

Once the No.1 ranked ODI batter for over three years, Kohli has not held the top spot since Babar Azam overtook him in April 2021. Meanwhile, Indian captain Shubman Gill, sidelined due to injury, has slipped to fifth in the rankings.

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In the ICC Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings, India’s experienced left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved up a spot to sixth.

South Africa players also enjoyed significant gains following their 2-0 Test series sweep over India.

Left-arm pacer Marco Jansen emerged as the biggest beneficiary, climbing five places to fifth among Test bowlers and reaching a career-high second in the Test all-rounders’ rankings.

His teammate Simon Harmer, the Player of the Series, jumped 13 spots to 11th in the Test bowling rankings after taking 17 wickets across two matches.

Other South African batters made notable progress as well: Kyle Verreynne rose three spots to 38th, Ryan Rickelton advanced five places to 39th, and Tristan Stubbs soared 16 positions to 47th in the Test batting rankings.

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Rohit Sharma breaks Shahid Afridi’s world record

RANCHI: India talismanic batter Rohit Sharma etched his name into the history books, shattering former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi’s record for most sixes in ODIs during the clash against South Africa.

The right-handed batter entered the fixture requiring three sixes to become the leading six-hitter in ODIs and achieved the landmark in his 277th match.

Rohit surpassed Afridi’s record in style with a trademark hook off Marco Jansen, clearing long leg on the fourth ball of the 19th over. Earlier, he had struck spinner Subrayen for back-to-back sixes on the first two deliveries of the 14th over.

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The right-handed batter entered the fixture needing three sixes to become the leading six-hitter in ODIs. The 38-year-old reached the landmark in his 277th match.

Most Sixes in ODIs

RG Sharma (IND): 2007–2025 — 269 inns, 11,420 runs, 352 sixes

Shahid Afridi (PAK): 1996–2015 — 369 inns, 8,064 runs, 351 sixes

Chris Gayle (WI): 1999–2019 — 294 inns, 10,480 runs, 331 sixes

Sanath Jayasuriya (SL): 1989–2011 — 433 inns, 13,430 runs, 270 sixes

MS Dhoni (IND): 2004–2019 — 297 inns, 10,773 runs, 229 sixes

Eventually, he departed after scoring 57 off 51 balls with the help of five boundaries and three fours.

At the time of filing this story, India were cruising at 183-2 in 26 overs with Virat Kohli batting on 85*, as Ruturaj Gaiwad was out after scoring eight of 12 balls.

Playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul (C), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.

South Africa: Aiden Markram (C), Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Prenelan Subrayen, Nandre Burger, Ottneil Baartman.

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Babar Azam beats Rohit Sharma’s record to reach huge T20I milestone

LAHORE: Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam shattered former India captain Rohit Sharma’s record to become the highest run scorer in T20I cricket.

The 31-year-old shattered the record during the second T20I against South Africa here at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

Before coming into this fixture, the right-handed batter required nine runs to surpass Rohit Sharma and become the highest run-scorer in the shorter format.

Babar opened his account with a majestic cover drive in front of his home crowd that erupted in loud cheers as he arrived on the crease.

He achieved the feat on the first ball of the 11th over with a single off Donovan Ferreira’s bowling. With this single, he now sits in pole position ahead of Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have already retired from this format.

Most runs in men’s T20Is

Babar Azam 4234 in 130 matches
Rohit Sharma – 4231 in `159 matches
Virat Kohli – 4188 in 125 matches
Jos Buttler – 3869 in 144 matches

Opting to bat first, South Africa displayed a shambolic batting display and were folded for a mere 110 in 19.2 overs.

The architects of the rattling South Africa batting lineup were Pakistan pacers Faheem Ashraf and Salman Mirza.

Mirza’s opening burst of three wickets tore through the Proteas top-order while Faheem’s four-wicket haul ensured that the visitors didn’t post an imposing total.

Playing XIs

South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (wk), Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira (c), George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Nandre Burger, Ottneil Baartman, Lungi Ngidi

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Salman Agha(c), Usman Khan(w), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed

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Babar Azam set to dethrone Rohit Sharma in T20Is

Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam is set to dethrone former India captain Rohit Sharma as the leading run-scorer in T20I cricket during the upcoming three-match series against South Africa.

The right-handed batter just needs nine runs to surpass Rohit Sharma and become the highest run-scorer in the shorter format.

Currently, Rohit Sharma leads the run chart in T20I cricket with 4,231 runs from 159 matches, whereas Babar has 4223 runs in 128 games and has notched up 36 half-centuries and three hundreds at an impressive average of 39.83.

Most runs in men’s T20Is

Rohit Sharma – 4231 in `159 matches
Babar Azam – 4223 in 128 matches
Virat Kohli – 4188 in 125 matches
Jos Buttler – 3869 in 144 matches

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For the unversed, the T20I series will begin on October 28 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, followed by the remaining two matches held on October 31 and November 2 at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

The series will also mark Babar’s return to the shorter format, having last played against South Africa in December 2024.

South Africa Squad

T20I squad: Donovan Ferreira (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Matthew Breetzke, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Tony de Zorzi, Andile Simelane, Lizaad Williams.

Pakistan Squad

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicket-keeper), Usman Tariq

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Rohit, Kohli masterclass powers India to victory over Australia

SYDNEY: Veteran duo Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli rolled back the years with a vintage partnership as India cruised to a comprehensive victory over Australia in the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Chasing a modest target of 237, the visitors made light work of the pursuit, reaching 238-1 with 69 balls to spare in front of a packed SCG crowd.

Notably, Australia won the series 2-1, having won the first two games of the three-match series at Adelaide and Perth.

Rohit struck a magnificent unbeaten 121 off 125 balls, laced with 13 boundaries and three sixes, while Kohli provided steady support with a fluent 74 not out off 81 deliveries.

India got off to a strong start as Rohit and skipper Shubman Gill added 69 runs for the opening wicket before Josh Hazlewood dismissed Gill for 24.

From there, it was all about India’s two modern-day greats, who batted with authority and ease against an Australian attack that struggled for answers.

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Rohit reached his 33rd ODI century, timing the ball beautifully and barely offering a chance, while Kohli’s elegant strokeplay ensured there were no further hiccups as India wrapped up the win comfortably.

Earlier, Australia’s innings imploded after a steady start. From a promising 183/3, the hosts collapsed to 236 all out, losing their final seven wickets for just 53 runs.

Harshit Rana was the chief destroyer with 4-39, while Matt Renshaw top-scored with a patient 56.

Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh had earlier given Australia a brisk start before the Indian spinners applied the brakes. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar claimed two wickets apiece, triggering the middle-order collapse.

Renshaw fought hard to register his maiden ODI fifty but ran out of partners as India turned the screws. Cooper Connolly chipped in with 23 late on, but it was too little too late.

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