New York: India captain Rohit Sharma reached several remarkable milestones during his unbeaten knock of 52* against Ireland on Wednesday, leading his team to a commanding victory in their Group A opener in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
Rohit’s half-century played a crucial role in India’s triumph, marking the 42nd win under his captaincy in T20 internationals. This achievement sees him surpass MS Dhoni, making him the most successful captain in the history of India’s men’s T20I cricket.
In addition to this captaincy milestone, Rohit also reached significant personal landmarks in his illustrious career. His runs on Wednesday propelled him to become the third player in history to amass 1000 runs in ICC Men’s T20 World Cups. He now stands behind only Mahela Jayawardene (1016) and Virat Kohli (1142) in the all-time standings.
Moreover, the 37-year-old star ascended to second place on the list of all-time run scorers in men’s T20 internationals, achieving a career total of 4026 runs. This feat moved him past Pakistan’s Babar Azam, who has 4023 runs. Rohit’s teammate Virat Kohli continues to lead this list with 4038 runs, just 12 more than Rohit.
Rohit’s record-breaking performance didn’t end there. His three sixes during the match made him the first player to hit 600 sixes in international cricket across all formats. His tally includes 84 sixes in Tests, 323 in ODIs, and 193 in T20Is. The only other player to have hit over 500 career sixes is West Indies legend Chris Gayle, with 553 maximums.
Despite retiring hurt due to an injury, which he downplayed in the post-match conference, Rohit’s knock ensured India’s comfortable eight-wicket victory over Ireland. His dynamic performance set the tone for India’s campaign in the tournament, with fans eagerly anticipating more records to fall as the competition progresses.