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Rohit Sharma classic! When legendary opener pummeled South Africa in 2019 World Cup

Aakash Saini

Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli [Source: AFP Photos]Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli [Source: AFP Photos]

Rohit Sharma entered the year 2019 in the kind of imperious touch that made every innings feel like an impending masterclass. Averaging over 70 with more than 1,000 runs in each of the two preceding calendar years, the legendary Indian opener was touted to set the 2019 World Cup stage ablaze with his bat in England, and he did.

He started off his World Cup campaign with a run-chase masterclass against South Africa, a 122* on a tough Rose Bowl surface in Southampton as India clinched a comprehensive six-wicket win in 47.3 overs.

When Rohit Sharma conquered Rabada and co. in Rose Bowl

Chasing 228 on a tough Rose Bowl surface in India’s opening match of the 2019 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup back in June 2019, India lost opening batter Shikhar Dhawan and reliant number three Virat Kohli both cheaply to slip to 54-2 in 15.3 overs.

Rohit Sharma, however, remained unfazed in his approach as he kept the scoreboard ticking with smart running and calculated boundaries. Without taking a risk or drawing a sweat, the cricketer reached his half-century from 70 balls, a rather slower than his usual standards.

Forming match-defining partnerships with KL Rahul and MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma also crafted his century from 128 balls, one of the slowest of his ODI career, belting 10 boundaries and two sixes by the time of reaching the landmark figure.

The legendary Indian opener eventually reached 122* off 144 balls with 13 boundaries and two sixes before Hardik Pandya notched up the winning runs for Team India.

While the century marked the 23rd of Rohit Sharma’s glittering career, it also marked the first of his five record-breaking hundreds of the 2019 World Cup, the most for any individual player in a single edition of the tournament.

Racking up records for fun, Rohit Sharma was still far from over, as he continued his reign well beyond the World Cup, minting 1,490 runs overall in the year 2019 at a prolific average of 57.30 with seven tons and six fifties.