After enjoying greater than a decade in whites for India and representing the nation in 67 Assessments, Rohit Sharma has formally drawn curtains on his red-ball profession, concluding a journey that developed from a middle-order enigma to a world-class Take a look at opener.
Legacy past the numbers for India in red-ball cricket
Appointed as India’s full-time Take a look at captain in 2022, Rohit retires with 4301 runs at a mean of 40.57, together with 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries. However numbers alone don’t seize the transformation Rohit underwent, from battling inconsistency and accidents to rising because the spine of India’s high order and a tactical chief with an intuition for seizing key moments. The 38-year-old legacy isn’t simply one in every of runs however of revival his personal and that of India’s Take a look at opening setup.
Whereas his on-field statistics are spectacular, Rohit’s Take a look at legacy extends past numbers and data. He introduced a chilled presence to the highest of the order, led India with dignity in his closing years, and impressed confidence amongst youthful gamers. His private journey, from a debutant below the humongous presence of MS Dhoni to main India within the World Take a look at Championship (WTC) closing, mirrors the evolution of Indian Take a look at cricket itself. Although the white flannels are actually off, Rohit’s imprint stays indelible. He walks away not solely as a limited-overs icon but in addition as one in every of India’s most impactful Take a look at openers in trendy occasions.
5 notable data that outline Rohit Sharma’s Take a look at profession
1. A profitable centurion
- 12 take a look at centuries – All in wins
Every of Rohit Sharma’s 12 Take a look at tons got here in Indian victories, a exceptional statistic unmatched by any participant with 10+ lots of. Solely Warwick Armstrong (6) and Darren Lehmann (5) even have all of their lots of in wins, however none match Rohit’s excellent dozen. Almost 70% of his whole Take a look at runs got here in Indian victories, a staggering 69.4%, which is among the many highest for any participant with over 3000 runs. Solely two Australians, Adam Gilchrist (77.77%) and Matthew Hayden (71.35%), edge forward in that regard. Whether or not at house or overseas, when Rohit delivered, India typically triumphed.
2. Dominance as an opener
- 9 centuries as an opener (2019–2025)
Since changing into a full-time opener in 2019, Rohit scored 9 Take a look at centuries , probably the most by any opener in that interval. Solely 4 batters general have scored extra lots of than him in that time-frame, highlighting his constant dominance on the high.
Additionally READ: Breakdown of Rohit Sharma’s centuries in Take a look at cricket for India
3. The WTC anchor
- Most runs for India throughout the primary three WTC cycles
With 2716 runs within the WTC cycles, Rohit was India’s main scorer. His 9 lots of in WTC Assessments are additionally probably the most for India, outshining the likes of Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill (5 every). His WTC common of 41.15 is simply bettered by Yashasvi Jaiswal (52.88).
4. Pink-hot type post-2019
- 50.03 common from 2019–2024
From the 2019-20 season to 2023-24, Rohit averaged 50.03, the best by any Indian batter in that interval (min. 25 innings). His type throughout this stretch positioned him among the many world elite, with solely eight batters worldwide averaging over 50.
5. Changing begins into centuries
- Conversion price – 52.94% as an opener
Rohit turned 9 out of 16 fifty-plus scores into centuries whereas opening – a stellar conversion price of 52.94%. Solely Shikhar Dhawan (58.33%) and Dennis Amiss (55%) have finished higher amongst openers with 10 or extra 50+ scores.
When Rohit went large in whites: Memorable highlights
- 13 sixes vs South Africa, Vizag (2019): Most sixes by a batter in a single Take a look at match.
- 88 sixes in Take a look at profession: Second-most for India after Virender Sehwag (90).
- Debut delight: A whole lot in each innings of his debut sequence vs West Indies in 2013.
- 30 consecutive innings and not using a single-digit rating (2021 – 2023): Longest such streak in Take a look at historical past. He scored 1401 runs at 50.04, dealing with over 2600 deliveries throughout that part.
- At house, a fortress: Rohit thrived in Indian situations, scoring 10 centuries at house, all throughout India’s unprecedented streak of 18 consecutive Take a look at sequence wins. His 2444 runs at 56.83 in that interval had been bettered solely by Virat Kohli’s 60.12.
Additionally READ: Ritika Sajdeh’s heartbroken response to Rohit Sharma’s Take a look at retirement goes viral
