3 records of Rohit Sharma that Rishabh Pant can break
Rishabh Pant is among those cricketers who have been destined for greatness on the back of their sheer talent and potential. While he is far from the finished product, the wicket-keeper's skill set is something that is arguably unique and indispensable.
Since the retirement of MS Dhoni, the biggest contributors in terms of explosive batting, despite a massive surge in that aspect of the game, have been Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant. Despite donning vastly different roles in the batting order, the pair's aggressive mindset is something that brings them together.
The current Indian skipper has set a slew of records for himself over his 15-year career. While some are downright near-impossible to breach, there are a few achievements that could be toppled, with the Delhi-born batter being one of the major candidates.
On that note, let's take a look at the three Rohit Sharma records that Rishabh Pant could break in the future.
#1 Most number of sixes in international cricket by an Indian player
Six-hitting is an art that will never fade away, as evident by the increase in demand as the formats get shorter.
MS Dhoni held the record for most international sixes by an Indian with 359 sixes in 538 appearances across all formats before Rohit Sharma went past him just before the former India captain retired from the sport.
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Rohit now holds the record by a distant mile with 477 sixes in 427 innings in international cricket. However, considering the diversion that the current brand of cricket is taking towards a more expansive approach along with the possibility of a calendar rife with T20 Internationals, we can expect a lot more sixes from the current crop of players.
Rishabh Pant has already got off to a good start in terms of six-hitting ability in his career. The youngster has breached the 100-six mark across all formats in five years since his debut. He has a total of 109 sixes in 112 matches and if all goes well, the swashbuckling batter could find himself at the top of the pile.
#2 Most number of sixes in IPL history by an Indian player
Rohit Sharma has had a rich and fulfilling Indian Premier League (IPL) career with six titles under his belt. While finding resounding success as a captain as well as a batter, the 35-year-old also holds a cluster of records in the tournament across his 14-year stint.
Much like for the national side, the Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper had to overcome MS Dhoni's overwhelming tally of 216 sixes to set a new benchmark. Rohit is currently on top of the pile among Indians with 240 sixes in 227 matches.
With that SIX, Rohit Sharma has surpassed MS Dhoni's tally of most sixes in the IPL by an Indian
Rohit has hit 217 sixes and Dhoni has 216
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That impressive record could possibly be under threat as Rishabh Pant has crossed the half-way mark in the span of six IPL seasons. The former U19 World Cup member holds a total of 129 sixes in just 98 matches.
#3 Most number of T20 matches by an Indian player
Having made his debut at the 2007 T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma has a T20I career spanning 14 years and counting, which is a testament to his longevity. A more commendable feat is that he has been able to cement his place for the majority of a decade and a half, allowing him to compete in 132 T20Is, the highest by any player in the world.
Once again, with the entire global cricketing arena orienting towards T20 cricket, whether it be the increasing frequency of T20 bilateral series or franchise cricket, there is a huge scope for the players in terms of matches.
Rohit Sharma currently holds the record for the highest number of T20 matches by an Indian player with 391 to his name. This includes international matches, IPL games and as well as the now defunct CLT20.
The Delhi-born flamboyant player, on the other hand, has already had 167 appearances at the age of 24. If the same trend continues, the youngster should be able to move past the Indian skipper's match tally.