IPL 2020: 3 landmarks Rohit Sharma could reach this year
As part of the resumption of sporting activities around the world following the worldwide shutdown necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian cricket will begin with the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League. Even though the fixtures have not been released yet, the competition is slated to begin on September 19 in UAE.
It has been almost a decade sincereigning champions Mumbai Indians bought Rohit Sharma for a whopping $2 million in the 2011 IPL Auction. The upcoming edition will be Rohit Sharma's 10th season with Mumbai Indians.
The signing of the Indian opener completely changed the fortunes of the franchise. Mumbai’s record-breaking four title-winning campaigns came under the leadership of Rohit Sharma.
With the recent additions of Chris Lynn, Trent Boult, and Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mumbai Indians are well equipped to defend their trophy and became the first team to win the league five times.
Now, let us look at three records that Rohit Sharma could break in the upcoming IPL season.
#1 Most MOM awards among Indian players in IPL
As we all know, ‘Man of the Match’ award in cricket is usually given to a player who has played a crucial role in a team’s victory. At the same time, we have seen several instances of players from losing side claiming the award on the back of some exceptional performances.
Since a large number of fans and cricket administrators all over the world follow the IPL, MOM awards have always been special for the players. Besides, a special trophy by each franchise makes the award even more special.
In the 12 editions of IPL, Chris Gayle tops the MOM awards list with 21 such awards in 125 IPL games. AB de Villiers is just behind the West Indian with 20 awards. MS Dhoni, David Warner, and Rohit Sharma share the 3rd place with 17 awards each. Rohit Sharma can, theoretically move up to the top if he has a stellar IPL.
#2 1st MI player to score 4000 runs in IPL
Rohit Sharma, the MI skipper, had a decent T20I series against New Zealand at the start of this year. It has been more than six months since Rohit Sharma played any form of cricket. Hence, he will be eager to get back to the action once again and successfully retain the trophy for his franchise.
Rohit is currently the all-time leading run-getter for MI in IPL. In 143 matches, he has scored 3728 runs with one century and 28 half-centuries. Presently, Virat Kohli (RCB) and Suresh Raina (CSK) are the only two players in the history of IPL to score 4000+ runs for a single IPL team.
We can expect the Mumbai skipper to cross the landmark in this season and join Kohli & Raina in this elite club.
#3 Most 6s in IPL among Indian players
From the beginning of his career, Rohit is famous for his elegant stroke-making. His crunchy drives and cut shots are a treat to watch.
Over the years, Rohit has developed his big-hitting skills and became one of the famous limited-overs specialists. His ability to adjust according to the match situation makes him a lethal force at the top of the order.
In the International arena, Rohit Sharma is currently leading the sixes chart in T20Is and is placed fourth in the ODIs. Likewise, Rohit is presently sitting fourth in the IPL sixes chart with Chris Gayle leading the list by a considerable margin.
Among Indian players, he is second on the list with only MS Dhoni (209) ahead of him. With 194 sixes in 183 IPL innings, Rohit can increase his tally and move past Dhoni at some stage of the upcoming IPL season.