Top 5 best innings of Rohit Sharma in T20I cricket

Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20I cricket after winning ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Veteran opener Rohit Sharma finally got his hands on an ICC title as captain when the Indian cricket team won the thrilling clash against South Africa by seven runs in the grand finale of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados on June 29.

Under the leadership of Rohit, India remained unbeaten throughout the T20 World Cup 2024 campaign and became the first side to clinch the T20 World Cup without losing a match. Rohit also ended India’s 11-year-long ICC title drought. Previously, the MS Dhoni-led side won the Champions Trophy in 2013.

The 37-year-old Rohit also became the second Indian captain after Dhoni to lift the ICC T20 World Cup title. India lifted the T20 World Cup back in 2007. It was an emotional moment for every Indian cricket fan when Rohit announced his T20I retirement after winning his maiden ICC title as a skipper.

In T20I cricket, Rohit played 159 and amassed 4231 runs – most by anyone – at an average of 32.05 and a strike rate of 140.89. The 37-year-old cricketer also smashed five hundreds and 32 half-centuries for India.

As Rohit draws curtains on his illustrious T20I career, let’s take a look at the top five most memorable knocks of his career in the shortest international cricket format.

Let’s take a look at the top five innings played by Rohit Sharma in T20Is

1. 50 vs South Africa, T20 World Cup 2007

A young Rohit Sharma played a crucial knock in a must-win encounter in the T20 World Cup 2007 in South Africa. The Indian side was playing the group stage match against the hosts South Africa and to add more things, Men in Blue were rocked back for 61/4 in 11 overs.

However, a young Rohit showed his talent as he hammered unbeaten 50 runs off 40 deliveries, including seven boundaries and two sixes. His knock helped India post a total of 153/5 and then later win the match by 36 runs.

2. 118 vs Sri Lanka, 2017

After winning the first match of the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, India played the second match in Indore in December 2017, where Rohit unleashed his beast mode.

The Indian opener, Rohit Sharma, hammered the then fastest hundred in T20I cricket. Rohit reached his ton in just 35 balls, which is still the fastest hundred by an Indian batter in this format.

Rohit played a match-winning innings of 118 runs in just 43 balls, including 12 boundaries and 10 sixes. The Men in Blue recorded 260/5 in 20 overs and won the match by 88 runs. 

3. 121* vs Afghanistan, 2024

In three-match T20I series between India and Afghanistan in 2024, Rohit scored two ducks in the first two games of the series. It being India’s last T20I cricket assignment before the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

However, he answered all his critics after smashing 121 runs in just 69 deliveries, which included 11 boundaries and eight maximums in the third T20I of the series. His knock was very crucial, as India won the thrilling clash in the second Super Over and won the T20I series.

4. 92 vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024

In the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit was his absolute best as he lead the Indian side to the T20 World Cup after 17 years. However, his best knock in the tournament came in their last Super 8 match against Australia.

It almost felt like Rohit took revenge against Australia of the ODI World Cup 2023 final in this game, where he hammered 92 runs off just 41 deliveries.

After losing Virat Kohli for a duck, Rohit took an aggressive route in the innings. He completed his fifty in 19 balls and didn’t stop there. At the end, his knock helped India post a total of 205 and later win the game by 24 runs, which helped them qualify for the semi-finals and later go to the finals and lift the trophy.

5. 79 vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2010

In the ICC T20 World Cup 2010 game between Australia and India, the Aussies scored 184/5 in 20 overs batting first in the Group F match in Bridgetown.

While chasing, none of the Indian batters scored even 20 runs, but a young Rohit Sharma showcased his fighting spirit as he scored an unbeaten 79 runs off 46 balls, which included four boundaries and six maximums.

Despite Rohit’s efforts, India managed to reach only 135 while chasing a huge target of 184 and then lost the game by 49 runs. India’s next highest run-scorer in the game was Harbhajan Singh, who scored 13 runs, while no other Indian batsman managed to get to double digits.

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