Indian cricket superstar Rohit Sharma made an unforgettable mark during the second One Day International against Australia at Adelaide Oval. He ascended to become India’s third-highest run-scorer in ODIs, surpassing the illustrious Sourav Ganguly’s record of 11,221 runs. This significant achievement came in the 21st over when Sharma expertly dispatched a delivery from Adam Zampa for a boundary.
The prolific Mumbai batter reached this extraordinary milestone in his 275th ODI for India. In comparison, Sourav Ganguly amassed his runs over 297 innings in 308 matches played between 1992 and 2007. With this feat, Rohit Sharma now stands behind only the legendary Sachin Tendulkar (18,426 runs) and the consistent Virat Kohli (14,181 runs) in terms of ODI runs for India.
Most Runs for India in ODIs
| Player | Matches | Runs | 100/50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 463 | 18,426 | 49/96 |
| Virat Kohli | 304* | 14,181 | 51/74 |
| Rohit Sharma | 275* | 11,225* | 32/59 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 308 | 11,221 | 22/71 |
| Rahul Dravid | 340 | 10,768 | 12/82 |
This momentous day held even more significance for Sharma as he shattered another of Ganguly’s longstanding records. He became India’s leading run-scorer in ODIs as an opener, surpassing Ganguly’s total of 9,146 runs. This particular milestone was achieved with his very first run of the match, setting the tone for his remarkable innings.
Most Runs as an ODI Opener
| Player | Team | Matches | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 344 | 15,310 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 388 | 12,740 |
| Chris Gayle | West Indies | 280 | 10,179 |
| Adam Gilchrist | Australia | 260 | 9,200 |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 188* | 9,195* |
| Sourav Ganguly | India | 242 | 9,146 |
Adding to his impressive tally of achievements, Sharma etched his name as the first player to accumulate 1,000 runs in India-Australia ODI matches played on Australian soil. He reached this milestone with a boundary off Mitchell Starc in the third over, marking his 21st ODI appearance against Australia in their home conditions.
In the exclusive club of top run-scorers in India-Australia ODIs played down under, Sharma now leads a distinguished group that includes modern greats like Virat Kohli, the iconic Sachin Tendulkar, the dependable MS Dhoni, and Australia’s own Steve Smith. However, the ultimate record for most ODI runs scored in Australia against the home team remains with the legendary West Indian, Viv Richards.
Rohit’s impactful innings was eventually brought to a close by Mitchell Starc, but not before the right-handed batsman had contributed a brilliant 73 runs off 97 balls. His knock included 7 fours and 2 towering sixes, and he shared a vital 118-run third-wicket partnership with Shreyas Iyer, who remained unbeaten on 50 when Rohit departed. His two sixes in this innings further cemented his place in history.
The first of these sixes made him the inaugural Asian cricketer to smash 150 sixes in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia), highlighting his power-hitting prowess on challenging foreign pitches.
Most Sixes by Asians in SENA Countries
| Player | Country | Matches | Sixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | India | 156 | 151 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 171 | 113 |
| Shahid Afridi | Bangladesh | 139 | 105 |
| MS Dhoni | India | 175 | 83 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 177 | 83 |