Tag: Rohit Sharma

DELHI: India’s all-format captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday, broke Chris Gayle’s long-standing record of the most sixes across formats during his side’s ICC World Cup 2023 fixture against Afghanistan.

Chris Gayle had hit 553 sixes over the course of his decorated career, which spanned over 22 years. The West Indian legend took 551 innings to set the world record.

Meanwhile, Indian captain Rohit was on 551 sixes before today’s ICC World Cup 2023 fixture against Afghanistan.

While chasing a modest 273, Rohit Sharma gave India a flying start with a quickfire knock and has already hit four sixes, which took him past Gayle’s record.

Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi (476) is third in the list of the batters with the most number of international sixes.

The former all-rounder, however, still tops the chart in ODIs with 351 sixes, followed by Chris Gayle (331) and Rohit Sharma (296).

Rohit Sharma leads the list of most sixes in T20Is with 182 in 140 innings, followed by New Zealand’s Martin Guptill with 173 and Australia’s Aaron Finch with 125.

England captain Ben Stokes has thus far hit the most sixes in Tests (124), 17 more than his coach Brendon McCullum.

It is worth mentioning here when this story was filed India were 164/1 in 20 overs while chasing 273.

Skipper Rohit Sharma is leading India’s charge with an unbeaten 108 in 70 deliveries with the help of 13 boundaries and four sixes.

Most international sixes across formats

Rohit Sharma (India) – 554 sixes*
Chris Gayle (West Indies) – 553 sixes
Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) – 476 sixes
Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) – 398 sixes
Martin Guptill (New Zealand) – 383 sixes
MS Dhoni (India) – 359 sixes
Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) – 352 sixes
Eoin Morgan (England) – 346 sixes
AB de Villiers (South Africa) – 328 sixes
Jos Buttler – 312 sixes*

READ: Pat Cummins sees ICC World Cup 2023 as ‘physically taxing’ for bowlers

KANDY: India’s all-format captain Rohit Sharma on Friday, heaped praise on Pakistan’s pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah ahead of the high-octane clash in the ongoing ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023.

Sharma, while addressing the pre-match press conference here at the Pallekele International Stadium, acknowledged that the Indian team does not get to face such quality bowlers in the nets as Pakistan’s pace trio.

“Shaheen, Naseem and Haris are quality bowlers. We don’t have such bowlers in the nets so we need to play really well against them,” said Sharma.

Rohit Sharma further lauded the Pakistan cricket team as a whole and shared that it would be interesting to play against them.

“Pakistan’s team is very good, they have improved very well in the past few years, whether it is T20I or 50 overs,” Sharma said.

“No team becomes number without any reason, they have worked hard and they are playing well as a unit, it will be interesting to play them.

“We will play our best, we have prepared well, let’s see how it goes.”

The Indian captain emphasized that he and his team need to use their experience heading into the Asia Cup 2023.

“We need to use our experience, I’ll have to see what kind of cricket our team needs. In the last two years, I have played in a different way, more like risky cricket, but I need to change my approach. As a top-order batter, I know how important it is for me to play a long inning and I need to bring balance to my game,” said Rohit Sharma.

“We have short-term goals, as of now all we are focusing on is the game against Pakistan,” he added.

The Asia Cup 2023 group-stage clash between Pakistan and India will mark Pakistan and India’s first faceoff in the ODI format since the 2019 World Cup, where the Men in Blue emerged triumphant.

READ: Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan’s Playing XI for India clash unveiled

India’s all-format captain Rohit Sharma dodged a question regarding the toughest bowler in Pakistan’s arsenal currently in a bid to avoid controversy.

During a private event in the United States of America (USA), Sharma was asked to name the toughest bowler in the Pakistan team currently.

Sharma, however, ducked the question by stating that it would create a massive controversy.

“All the pacers in the Pakistan team are equally good. I will not pick any individual. It creates a big controversy,” he said.

He emphasized that naming an individual bowler would erroneously make others feel slighted and therefore chose to recognise the overall splendour of Pakistan’s fast bowling lineup.

“If I will take one player’s name, the second will feel bad. If I will take the second player’s name, then the third will feel bad. I think all of them are good,” he added.

It is worth mentioning here that in March 2016, Rohit Sharma called left-arm Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir a “normal bowler” and asserted the hype around the latter was unjustified.

He then drew an indirect comparison between Amir and Jasprit Bumrah and instead called the latter a “rare talent”.

“Stop talking about him already,” Rohit said of Amir. “He isn’t the only bowler, Pakistan have five other bowlers who are doing well for them.

“There is just so much hype around him, I don’t think it is right to give him too much hype after one match. He is good but he needs to prove it over and over again. Now people are comparing him to Wasim Akram and all that. He is just a normal bowler, on that given day if he is good, he is good. It is not as if he turns up and blows everyone away.”

“Bumrah is already starting to make a mark. I would tell you that instead of talking about Amir you should talk about Bumrah. A rare talent like Bumrah … he is young and the way he has begun his career – he has a long way ahead no doubt – I think he will do something special for the country.

AHMEDABAD: Rohit Sharma on Wednesday angrily dismissed suggestions his India side had become overconfident, calling the criticism from former head coach Ravi Shastri “absolutely rubbish”.

India will look to clinch the series against Australia with victory in the fourth Test starting Thursday in Ahmedabad and book their berth in the World Test Championship final.

The hosts took a 2-0 lead in the four-match series to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy before losing the third Test in Indore in just over two days.

Shastri accused the team of “a little complacency, a little bit of overconfidence”.

Skipper Rohit hit back, saying: “Honestly, when you win two games and people on the outside feel that we are overconfident, it’s absolutely rubbish, because you want to do your best in all four games.”

He called his side “ruthless” more than arrogant.

“Ravi himself has been in this dressing room, he knows what sort of mindset we have,” said Rohit.

India lost the previous match by nine wickets on a viciously turning pitch at Indore, but the track at the world’s biggest cricket stadium is expected to give the batsmen some respite.

Rohit though has had enough of the talk about pitches.

“How challenging the pitches are? How much is it turning? How much is it seaming? We are trying to keep all of that away,” said Rohit.

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INDORE: Indian captain Rohit Sharma claimed that the recently-held Test matches in Pakistan were ‘boring’ in an attempt to justify his team’s defeat in the third Test against Australia on Friday. 

After tasting their own medicine in Indore Test, skipper Rohit tried to cover up India’s dismal performance with an excuse to make the game ‘interesting’ for the crowd.

Rohit and company faced an emphatic defeat by nine wickets inside three days of a home Test, thanks to a treacherous spin track which was supposed to advantage the Indian spinners.

However, India ensnared into their own trap when Australian spinners Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon ran through their batting lineups in both innings.

“People have to play well for the game to last five days. Games are not lasting five days even outside India” said the Indian skipper in the post-match press conference.

“In Pakistan, there were three Test matches played, people were saying it was boring. We are making it interesting for you guys,” he added.

It may be noted here that India faced severe criticism from cricket analysts and former players for doctoring the pitches off-limits to put Australian batters to the test in the series.

They benefitted from the pitch tweaks in the first two Tests and led the series 2-0 before Australia bounced back forcefully in the third.

The visitors skittled India for 109 on day one with spinner Matthew Kuhnemann leading the charge with five wickets.

In reply Australia made a solid start before collapsing to 197 all out before lunch on day two, their last six wickets tumbling for just 11 runs.

Eight wickets for spinner Nathan Lyon saw India bundled out for 163 in their second innings, setting up a victory target of 76.

READ: Australia beat India by nine wickets to win third Test

NEW DELHI: India skipper Rohit Sharma backed his deputy KL Rahul despite an extended dry run that saw the opener fall for one Sunday during their successful second Test chase against Australia.

Rahul has failed to go past 23 in his past 10 Test innings and scored just 17 and one in the team’s six-wicket win inside three days at New Delhi.

The under-fire batsman remained unlucky in his latest dismissal after his shot hit the knee of the short-leg fielder and the ball lobbed to the wicketkeeper.

Social media was abuzz with memes lampooning Rahul’s dismissal. Veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle said it “might be time” for Shubman Gill to replace the deputy skipper in the third Test.

But Rohit said any batsman with potential will be guaranteed an “extended run”.

“It is not just about KL but anyone,” he told reporters.

“It was clear from our side that we want him to go out and play his game. We are not going to look too much into what one individual is doing, it is about how everyone needs to come together.”

Coach Rahul Dravid also backed 30-year-old Rahul to come good soon. Rahul has averaged more than 33 in 47 Tests since his debut in 2014 against Australia in Melbourne.

“I think he needs to trust his processes. This is just a phase, he has been one of our most successful overseas openers,” Dravid told broadcaster Star Sports.

“He’s got hundreds in South Africa and England, we’ll continue to back him. I believe he has the quality and class to come out of this.”

Ravindra Jadeja remained India’s hero for the second straight game after his international return from a career-threatening knee injury.

The left-arm spinner returned career-best Test figures of 7-42 and combined with Ravichandran Ashwin to pack off Australia for 113 in 31.1 overs.

Rohit lauded his man-of-the-match bowler.

“He has been brilliant. Comebacks are not easy but the confidence that guy has in his ability, that is massive. And you can see it on the field,” Rohit said of his champion performer, who passed 250 Test wickets in the match.

“There were times he was put under pressure but there was no sense of panic, he just kept relying on what he is good at and he kept doing that.”

The hosts have retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy in the four-match series and are now close to securing a spot in the World Test Championship final.

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NAGPUR: Skipper Rohit Sharma hit a brave 120 on a turning Nagpur pitch as India extended their lead to 144 despite Australian debutant Todd Murphy’s five wickets in the opening Test.

India were 321-7 at stumps with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja proving his worth for the second straight day of his international return with an unbeaten 66.

The 22-year-old Murphy took regular wickets with his off-spin in his attempt to check India’s surge but Jadeja kept up the charge following Rohit’s dismissal soon after tea.

Jadeja was batting alongside fellow left-hander Axar Patel, who hit 52, as the pair put on an unbeaten stand of 81 for the eighth wicket.

Rohit led from the front with his ninth Test century to extend India’s dominance after they dismissed Australia for 177 on day one of the four-Test series.

The captain defied the spinners to reach his hundred with a boundary off Murphy in the second session, and took off his helmet to soak in the applause.

He put on a key 61-run sixth-wicket stand with Jadeja, who stood firm after Rohit’s departure to register a fifty after his five wickets in the Australian innings.

Jadeja, who has three Test hundreds, did his trademark sword swish with the bat to mark his 18th half-century in the five-day format.

Murphy stood out for the tourists with remarkable control to knock off the stalwarts of Indian cricket including Virat Kohli, caught behind for 12.

Murphy, who claimed KL Rahul as his first Test wicket on Thursday, trapped Ravichandran Ashwin lbw and got Cheteshwar Pujara caught at short fine leg in the first session.

Senior Australia spinner Nathan Lyon spoiled Twenty20 sensation Suryakumar Yadav’s Test debut after he bowled the batsman on eight to put India in a spot at 168-5.

But Rohit, who started the day on his overnight 56 and smashed Pat Cummins and Lyon for a six each, and Jadeja soon swung back the momentum with a mix of caution and aggression.

Cummins took the second new ball after tea to send back Rohit bowled, one ball after he was dropped by Steve Smith at second slip.

Murphy soon bagged his fifth as he trapped fellow debutant Srikar Bharat lbw — a decision that was given not out by the umpire but successfully reviewed by Australia.

Jadeja, who returned from a knee injury with a 5-47 on Thursday, soldiered on with Patel as they frustrated the opposition attack in the final hour of play.

Axar smashed eight boundaries en route to his second Test fifty.

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NAGPUR: India skipper Rohit Sharma and Australian counterpart Pat Cummins on Wednesday brushed aside concerns about the pitch ahead of the first of four eagerly awaited Tests.

Australian commentators have said that a bone-dry pitch has been prepared in Nagpur to make life difficult for the visitors’ many left-handed batsmen in the match starting Thursday.

Cricket writer Robert Craddock told broadcaster SEN that if parts of the pitch had been prepared specifically to target Australia’s left-handed batsmen, it would amount to “straight-up pitch doctoring”.

Former Australia all-rounder Simon O’Donnell said the International Cricket Council “should step in and do something about it, if they think it’s not right”.

But Cummins told reporters that Australia’s batters would take the pitch in their stride.

“Potentially, it looks a little bit dry for the left-handers and knowing how much traffic will probably go through there from the right-arm bowlers,” said Cummins.

“It might be a fair bit of rough out there. Again that’s something we just got to embrace. It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be challenging at times, but we have batters who relish the chance to problem solve on their feet.”

Australia’s set of key left-handers includes David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey, Matt Renshaw and Travis Head.

Their right-handers include Steve Smith — who scored three centuries including a brilliant 178 during Australia’s 2017 tour of India — and Marnus Labuschagne, currently number one in the ICC Test rankings.

Cummins said that getting a good first-innings lead in India was more important than anywhere else in the world.

“You just got to find a way to put a big total on the board, especially thinking if it’s going to spin, it’s going to get really hard in the second innings,” the fast bowler said.

‘Not bothered’

Indian skipper Sharma also downplayed concerns about the pitch, saying that the “focus is on playing the game”.

“(In the) last series we played here, a lot was spoken about pitches. All 22 (players) are quality cricketers and not bothered about how much it is turning, how much it is seaming and all that.”

India are likely to field three spinners, including Ravichandran Ashwin and the returning Ravindra Jadeja, but Sharma did not reveal the starting line-up.

Cummins confirmed that Australia would be without injured pacers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc as well as all-rounder Cameron Green.

Foreign teams have often struggled to overcome conditions in India, with England thrashed 3-1 in 2021.

Australia last won a Test series in India in 2004 and India have won the teams’ last three encounters, including twice in Australia.

A draw in any of the four Tests will be enough to secure world number one Australia a place in the ICC World Test Championship final at The Oval in June.

Second-placed India need to win at least 3-0 to assure themselves of a spot in that final for the second year running.

Indian cricket commentator Harsh Bhogle also brushed aside chatter about the pitch.

“So much talk about pitches before the game starts! For one, it is the same for both teams. And second, it has to present a challenge to the touring side. That is the essence of home and away contests,” Bhogle wrote on Twitter.

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INDORE: India’s omission of star Virat Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma from an upcoming Twenty20 series against New Zealand is only intended to give them a rest, coach Rahul Dravid said Monday.

The duo’s absence from two successive series had stoked rumours that Hardik Pandya would take over as regular T20 captain.

Pandya led the team to a 2-1 T20 series win over Sri Lanka earlier this month and has been named captain for the New Zealand matches, starting with Friday’s opener.

Speaking ahead of the final one-day international against New Zealand on Tuesday, Dravid said India would prioritise the 50-over format going into this year’s Cricket World Cup.

“There are certain priorities we need to give to certain white-ball tournaments,” said Dravid, whose team already have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ODI series, told reporters in Indore.

India host Australia for four Tests starting February 9, followed by three ODI matches.

“So the priority after last year’s T20 World Cup has been these six games and Virat has played all these six games and he will get a bit of a break along with Rohit,” Dravid said, referring to the ODIs against Sri Lanka and New Zeland.

Dravid was pressed further on India’s plans for a split captaincy in different formats.

“That’s a question you need to ask the selectors but as of now, I don’t think so,” the 50-year-old said.

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MIRPUR: Indian captain Rohit Sharma was taken to a hospital for an X-ray scan after he hurt his left hand while attempting a catch in the slips during the second One-Day International against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur. 

According to the BCCI, Indian captain Indian skipper suffered a blow to his thumb while fielding in the second ODI.

“The BCCI Medical Team assessed him. He has now gone for scans,” Indian board tweeted on Wednesday.

Update: India Captain Rohit Sharma suffered a blow to his thumb while fielding in the 2nd ODI. The BCCI Medical Team assessed him. He has now gone for scans. pic.twitter.com/LHysrbDiKw

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 7, 2022

Rohit was fielding at the second slip when pacer Mohammed Siraj drew an outside edge from Bangladesh opener Anamul Haque on the fourth ball of the second over but the India captain failed to grab the catch and ended up hurting his finger as well.

The 35-year-old was immediately taken off the field while he looked in pain when he walked back to the dressing room with blood on his left palm.

India are striving to stay alive in the series after losing a low-scoring thriller by one wicket in the first ODI on Sunday.

READ: Hasan Ali likely to replace injured Haris for England Tests: sources