During the current ODI World Cup, Indian captain Rohit Sharma has broken numerous records. The Hitman made history on Sunday, November 12, when he defeated the Netherlands in a contest that saw him win nine straight games. He also became the first cricket player to score more than 500 runs in any two competitions.
Famously, Rohit Sharma scored 648 runs in 2019 and, after scoring 50 against the Netherlands, surpassed the 500-run threshold in 2023. Still, his bowling has been the story of the week rather than his hitting. When he eventually got Teja Nidamanuru wicket to complete a 160-run victory over the Netherlands, the opener chose to roll his arms towards the end of the game.
With that, Rohit Sharma became one of the few Indian captains to have ever recorded a wicket in the history of the ODI World Cup.
In the 2003 edition of the competition, Sourav Ganguly became the final Indian captain to achieve this feat, taking three wickets against Zimbabwe. The only other captain to be included on the list is the illustrious Kapil Dev, who claimed 17 wickets between 1983 and 1987.
Surprisingly, Rohit’s wicket against Nidamanuru was his first in 11 years of One-Day International cricket. He didn’t take a wicket in an Australian innings at Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2012. Since then, the 36-year-old has raised his arms in two separate instances during international cricket matches; the most recent one took place in Chennai against England in February 2021.
Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, was ecstatic after India defeated the Netherlands handily at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. India, the only team remaining unblemished in the competition, advanced to the semi-finals and will now play New Zealand. Given that the Kiwis have already caused India problems in elimination games, the Men in Blue must proceed with caution. But because the bowling and batting groups are playing well right now, there is optimism that they will overcome the obstacle and advance to the finals.