Sunil Gavaskar has a special wish for Rohit Sharma. He wants Rohit to retire with more ODI centuries than his age. Gavaskar shared this thought after India’s third ODI against West Indies.
Rohit Sharma scored 92 off 85 balls in that match. He hit 10 fours and three sixes. Gavaskar was disappointed that Rohit did not convert that score into a century. He feels a hundred there would have helped Rohit get closer to the target he has in mind. Rohit currently has 35 ODI hundreds. If he plays until the 2027 World Cup, a few more tons could take him past his age at retirement.
Gavaskar spoke about his own career to explain the idea. In his final year of international cricket, he wanted his number of Test centuries to match his age. He retired at 38. He was dismissed in the 90s three times. If he had converted those chances, his hundreds would have equalled his age.
Gavaskar also noticed a change in Rohit’s batting. During the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rohit attacked from the first ball. He did not worry about getting out early. Now he values his wicket more. He still scores quickly. He can reach a hundred in 70 or 80 balls. Gavaskar thinks this helps the team. It also keeps Rohit away from critics who complain about slow batting.
His recent form has been strong. He scored 175 runs in three ODIs against England. His average was 58.33, and his strike rate was 98.31. He then scored 225 runs in three matches against West Indies. He made a century in the second ODI. In the third ODI, India lost after West Indies chased down 352. Shai Hope scored an unbeaten 162 for the visitors.
…Became First Player to Hit 100 International Sixes Against West Indies
Rohit Sharma set another record on Saturday. In the third ODI against West Indies in New Chandigarh, he became the first cricketer in the world to hit 100 international sixes against West Indies. He needed three sixes to reach the mark. He got the third one off the first ball of the 21st over of India’s innings.
Rohit Sharma already holds the record for most ODI sixes against West Indies. He also has the most international sixes against them. In that same innings, he was three sixes away from becoming the first player to hit 50 ODI sixes against West Indies.
Rohit also owns the record for most sixes against a single opponent in international cricket. He has 138 sixes against Australia in 87 matches. Chris Gayle is second with 130 against England. Rohit’s 100 against West Indies is third on that list. Gayle has 87 against New Zealand, and Glenn Maxwell has 87 against India.
This makes Rohit the only player to hit at least 100 sixes against two different teams in international cricket. He also shared an opening partnership of more than 250 runs with captain Shubman Gill. That stand helped India chase down 406 in Guwahati. Rohit went into the third ODI looking for another big score.
…Set to Return for India’s Five-Match ODI Series in New Zealand
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will next play for India in November. They will feature in the ODI series in New Zealand. That series will have five matches. India’s tour of New Zealand covers all three formats. The T20I series begins on October 22. The ODI series starts on November 1 in Auckland. The other ODIs are scheduled for November 7 in Wellington, November 10 in Hamilton, and November 13 and 15 in Mount Maunganui. After the ODIs, India will play two Tests starting November 19.
Both players have past experience in New Zealand. Kohli’s last ODI series there was in February 2020. He scored 51, 15, and 9. Rohit’s last ODI series in New Zealand was in January 2019. He made 11, 87, 62, 7, and 2 in five games.
In the recent ODI series against West Indies, Kohli scored 168 runs in three matches. He made an unbeaten 139 in the first ODI. He scored 29 in the second and was out for a golden duck in the third. Rohit scored 225 runs. He made 32 in the first match, 101 in the second, and 92 in the third. Captain Shubman Gill was the top run-scorer with 334 runs with a double century and a century. Gill won the Player of the Series award. India won the series 2-1.
Kohli and Rohit have retired from Test and T20I cricket. They now play only ODIs for India.
FAQs
Q. How many ODI centuries does Rohit Sharma have?
A. Rohit Sharma has scored 35 ODI centuries.
Q. What does Sunil Gavaskar want Rohit to achieve?
A. Rohit wants Rohit to retire with more ODI centuries than his age.
Q. When will Rohit return to New Zealand for an ODI series?
A. Rohit will return for India’s ODI series in November.
Q. How many runs did Rohit score against West Indies?
A. Rohit scored 225 runs in three matches.
Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.
