5 times a Rohit Sharma shot left fans in awe
Rohit Sharma is one of the most successful batters in the history of cricket. The current Indian captain has helped the nation win matches across all three formats of the game with some fantastic batting performances.
Sharma owns several world records in cricket. The most-well known record of Rohit Sharma is that of the three double hundreds in ODI cricket. No other batter has even scored two double centuries in the 50-over format.
One the main reasons behind Sharma's success is his ability to play some unique shots. A few of his strokes even leave himself in surprise. Yesterday (September 4), during the Asia Cup 2023 match against Nepal, Sharma played a flick sweep against Dipendra Airee that amazingly went for a six at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
When asked about that shot during the post-match presentation ceremony, Sharma replied:
"That was unexpected - I just wanted to chip it over short fine leg. There was no intention to hit it all the way over deep backward square leg. Luckily I timed it well and the bats these days are real good."
It is pertinent to note that this was not the first time Sharma played an incredible shot. Here's a list of five other shots by Rohit that left fans in awe.
#1 Rohit Sharma smashes Mustafizur Rahman for a 6, World Cup 2019
Sharma was in the form of his life during the 2019 Cricket World Cup. He smacked five centuries for India at the mega event while playing in English conditions. One of his five centuries came against Bangladesh.
Left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman troubled Sharma a lot during the bilateral series between Bangladesh and India in 2015. However, in the 2019 World Cup, Sharma hit an incredible straight six off his bowling on the first ball of the 24th over.
#2 Rohit Sharma flicks Naveen-ul-Haq for a 6, IPL 2023
Lucknow offered some of the toughest batting wickets during the IPL 2023 season earlier this year. When Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians (MI) reached the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium, many fans looked forward to watching their batting as MI played on batting paradises at the Wankhede Stadium.
Sharma opened the batting and got off to a good start. During the fifth over of the innings bowled by Naveen-ul-Haq, Sharma played a brilliant flick that went for a six in the leg-side region.
#3 Sharma's pickup shot against Lahiru Kumara, 2023
Sri Lanka toured India for a three-match ODI series earlier this year. India gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series as the two teams battled in a dead rubber at the Greenfield Stadium.
Rohit Sharma decided to bat first after winning the toss. India got off to a slow start, but Rohit switched gears quickly. He hit a brilliant six with a pickup shot against fast bowler Lahiru Kumara in the sixth over.
#4 Sharma smacks Chris Jordan for a 4, T20 World Cup 2022
India got off to a slow start in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal against England. Captain Sharma took his time to settle in the middle. Although it was not his best innings, Sharma played a fantastic shot against Chris Jordan.
When Jordan fired a yorker-length delivery on the off-side, Sharma punched it above the in-field and earned four runs. You can watch the video of the cracking shot right here.
#5 Rohit Sharma's 6 over cover against Pat Cummins, 2018
Sharma has showcased his big-hitting skills in the Test format as well. When India visited Australia for a Test series in 2018/19, Sharma played a brilliant drive over the cover region against Pat Cummins.
Sharma's timing was so perfect that the ball cleared the boundary and went for a six. Cricket Australia even labeled it as the shot of the day. You can watch the shot here.