Top 10 Rohit Sharma Knocks in ODI Cricket

image-lgtai6kpOne of the ODI cricketers of all time- Rohit Sharma

Widely hailed as one of the best batters of the current generation, Rohit Sharma has been a lynchpin of India's batting line-up since 2013. The talisman started his career as an off-spinner and now he dominates the best of the bowlers in world cricket. He has the ability and habit of scoring daddy hundreds and seldomly double hundreds.

In white-ball cricket in particular, he has made a name for himself as a runaway match-winner. But the start of his career was tough as the right-handed batter struggled to deliver on a consistent basis and as a result of it, he was in and out of the side for the first 6 years of his international career. It was only in the Champions Trophy 2013 that Rohit's life as a cricketer was changed when then skipper MS Dhoni asked him to open in the one-day format.

A big-match player, Rohit's talent has come to the fore whenever India have been in rough waters, especially in the 50-over format. Rohit's rock-solid defence allows him to stay at the crease for longer periods and his wide range of shots has made bowlers’ job even more difficult.

From getting overlooked for the 2011 World Cup to racking up tons in the 2019 World Cup and scoring three double hundred, Rohit's come a long way. As Rohit is currently enjoying a great run in the ODI format, we look at his best 10 innings in ODI cricket.

1) 264 off 173 balls against Sri Lanka, 2014

13th November 2014 is remembered as a record-breaking day not just for team India but for the cricketing world in general. It was the fourth ODI between India and Sri Lanka at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, and Rohit created a history that day. Batting first, Rohit came out to open and was dropped very early on in the innings, and then he made them pay, and pay big they did. The Indian opener recorded the highest individual ODI score of all time with his knock of 264, consisting of 33 boundaries and nine sixes. His efforts helped India reach 404 runs in their 50 overs. In response, Sri Lanka could only accumulate 251 runs as they were bundled out in 43.1 overs with Dhawal Kulkarni picking up four wickets.

2) 209 runs off 158 balls against Australia, 2013

On November 2, 2013, Rohit entered his name in the record books as he became only the third player after the legendary duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag to score a double ton in the history of ODI cricket. The right-handed batter tore Australia’s bowling unit apart on the back of his dominant hitting. Rohit scored 209 off just 158 deliveries during the innings, slamming 12 fours and a whopping 16 sixes in his epic knock.

3) 208 runs off 153 balls against Sri Lanka, 2017

Two ODI hundreds weren't enough for the Hitman as he smashed his third double century in ODI cricket against a familiar bowling attack of Sri Lanka at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali in the match held on December 13, 2017. Rohit smashed 13 fours and 12 sixes on his way to 208 against Sri Lanka which helped India post a gigantic score of 392/4 in the allotted fifty overs. They eventually won the match by 141 runs.

4) 140 off 113 balls against Pakistan, 2019

Every Indian cricketer dreams of playing a winning hand in the game between India and Pakistan and if that game is a World Cup game then the stakes are even higher. Like every Indo-Pak game, it was another high-pressure clash in 2019. In such high-voltage games, teams want their seasoned campaigners to step up. And on that day Rohit Sharma did exactly that. The incumbent Indian opener took the Pakistani bowlers to the cleaners and scored a flawless hundred. He scored 140 off just 113 balls which included 14 fours and 3 sixes. Rohit has scored many hundreds but only a few better than this.

5) 122* runs off 144 balls against South Africa, 2019

It was India's first game of the ICC World Cup 2019 against a quality South African team. Chasing a modest total of 228 against the in-for Proteas bowlers Rohit Sharma carved out a special hundred in tough circumstances as he finished with an unbeaten 122 coming off 144 balls, laced with 13 fours and two sixes. Considering the situation India were in, this is definitely one of Rohit's very best in one-day cricket. This was just the start Rohit and India needed to start their World Cup campaign.

6) 137 runs off 126 balls against Bangladesh, 2015

Before this innings, Rohit had a forgettable run in the 2015 World Cup. In the important quarter-final game, when the odds were against the Ro-Hitman and critics were questioning his position in the team. Rohit responded in style with a well-crafted hundred when India lost the inform pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli. Rohit made 137 off 126 balls, highlighted by 14 boundaries and three sixes to help his team win the game and qualify for the semi-final.

7) 171* off 163 balls against Australia, 2016

The ODI leg of India's tour of Australia in 2016 will always be a memorable series for the Indian stalwart. He scored 441 runs in 5 innings at an average of 110 in that series. In the opening ODI of their five-match series at the WACA Ground in Perth, Rohit set the tone for the rest of the series with an unbeaten 171 to take his to a target of over 300. On a pacy track against the Aussie quicks, Rohit showed his class and carried his bat. 171 runs in 163 balls, which included 7 sixes and 13 fours. Though India didn't win the game, Rohit garnered a lot of praise for his effort with the bat.

8) 141 runs off 123 balls against Australia, 2013

India were chasing a mammoth total of 360 in the second ODI of the seven-match series. Opening the batting, Rohit came out to bat with intent and played one of the most destructive innings against the Australian bowling attack and scored a match-winning 141 off 123 balls. In the process, he smashed 17 boundaries and four sixes in this marauding knock. Rohit's efforts helped India reach home with 9 wickets and 6 overs to spare. To play the role of anchor in a big run chase, Rohit really stamped his authority as a quality top-order batter. Playing such innings six years back against the mighty Aussies was quite a task.

9) 114 off 119 balls against Zimbabwe, 2010

The first hundred in any format is always special and this hundred will always be fresh in Rohit's mind as it came almost three years after his ODI debut. On 28th May 2010, Rohit Sharma scored his maiden ODI hundred against Zimbabwe in the first match of the Tri-series played at Bulawayo. Rohit's knock of 114 required 119 balls which was laced with six boundaries and four sixes. Although India didn't win the game, Rohit certainly enjoyed his first hundred in the 50-over format.

10) 66 runs off 87 balls against Australia, 2008

Some innings are worth more than a hundred and this was one such innings by Rohit. This was his first significant innings in the 50-over format for India. In the first final of the Commonwealth Bank Tri-series in 2007/08, India had a typical stutter when they lost three wickets in quick succession, then a young Rohit Sharma forged a 123-run stand for the fourth wicket with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Rohit scored a sparkling 66 off 87 balls with help of six boundaries and ensured that India chased 240 with utmost ease.