Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian squad, has once again accomplished an incredible feat: he has tied the record set by the great Chris Gayle with 331 sixes in One-Day International (ODI) cricket.
On August 7, in Colombo, during the third and final One-Day International (ODI) against Sri Lanka, Sharma accomplished something. The 37-year-old’s performance was noteworthy despite India’s humiliating 110-run loss in the game, which allowed the hosts to win their first bilateral series against the Men in Blue since 1997.
Since making his debut, Sharma has now hit 331 ODI sixes, matching the record set by the renowned West Indian. When he retired in 2021, the former opener had the record for the second-most sixes in ODIs.
Throughout his career, Sharma has stood out due to his ability to hit sixes whenever he pleases. He does exceptionally well in the game’s shortest format thanks to his effortless boundary-clearing abilities. In the third one-day international, Rohit reached 35 runs off just 20 balls and struck just one six, matching Gayle’s previous record.
In the Indian ODI series against Sri Lanka, Rohit Sharma became the fourth batter to reach 2000 runs.
Former Pakistan captain and all-rounder Shahid Afridi, with 351 sixes to his name, is now the only person ahead of Rohit and Gayle on the list of players with the most sixes hit in One-Day Internationals. In the upcoming games, the seasoned opener hopes to surpass this total and break the record for the most sixes in ODI history.
Additionally, he became the fourth Indian batsman to amass more than 2000 runs in the 50-over format against the island nation, following MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Sachin Tendulkar.
In reference to the game, the island nation chose to bat first after winning the toss. With their outstanding batting performances, Avishka Fernando (96), Kusal Mendis (59), and Pathum Nissanka (45) enabled their team to score a respectable 248/7.
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With statistics of 3/54, debutant Riyan Parag was the only bowler for the visitors that stood out. In response, the Men in Blue saw their captain put on another strong outing, but none of the other batters were able to take advantage of it, which ultimately cost them the game and the series.