Can Rohit Sharma outperform Virat Kohli in the 5th ODI to win the Man of the Series Award?
Though both players and fans put team performance over an individual’s, there is no getting away from the fact that individual brilliance adds to the lure of a game. And if a team consists of world-class performers like the Indian cricket team is blessed to have now, such individuals garner a lot of excitement, in terms of their own outstanding performances as well in comparison with others.
In the current Indian ODI batting line up, the two best performers are certainly Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, with Shikhar Dhawan a close third. Both Kohli and Rohit have lit up the ongoing ODI series against the West Indies with some scintillating batting, studded with breathtaking shots.
In the four matches played so far, Kohli has scored 420 runs, which includes three consecutive centuries, the first such achievement by an Indian batsman. He has done that at an astounding average of 140. On the other hand, Rohit too has done remarkably well. He has scored 326 runs with two centuries at an average of 109.
On the face of it, it seems Kohli is ahead of Rohit in the ‘race’ for the Man of the Series award. But a closer look will suggest that the race is much closer, and a better performance from Rohit compared to Kohli in the 5th ODI should tilt the race in his favour.
Even though Rohit has scored one hundred less, both those centuries have come in winning causes, but only one of Kohli’s three centuries resulted in an Indian victory, with one tie and a loss.
Both of Rohit’s centuries were 150 plus scores, whereas Kohli has managed only one such score. Moreover, Rohit’s strike rate is much better than that of Kohli. Rohit has had a strike rate of over 120 to Kohli’s 113.
So, like every Indian cricket fan, though one is looking forward to India’s victory in the 5th ODI, one is also excited at the prospect of witnessing some more magic from two of the best batsmen plying their trade in world cricket now.