Rohit Sharma's 5 most memorable moments in T20Is
Rohit Sharma led from the front as Team India remained unbeaten in the ICC Men's 2024 T20 World Cup to clinch the trophy. With the win, the Men in Blue ended their 11-year-old wait for an ICC crown; their previous triumph came in the Champions Trophy in England in 2013.
While Rohit was dismissed cheaply in the final against South Africa in Barbados, he ended the tournament as the second-leading run-getter. In eight matches, he hammered 257 runs at an average of 36.71 and a strike rate of 156.71, with three half-centuries to his credit.
Following Team India's seven-run victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against the Proteas, Rohit also announced his retirement from T20I cricket. The 37-year-old ended his career with 4231 runs in 151 innings at an average of 32.05 and a strike rate of 140.89. He is currently the leading run-getter in T20 internationals.
With the right-handed batter having announced his T20I retirement, we look back at five of his most memorable performances in the format.
#5 Clobbering 118 off only 43 balls against Sri Lanka
Rohit has five hundreds in T20Is and is the joint record holder for most tons in the format [Glenn Maxwell also has five T20I centuries]. One of his standout knocks came against Sri Lanka in Indore in December 20017, when he clubbed 118 off only 43 balls.
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first in the second T20I of the three-match series. It was a decision they were to regret as India put up 260-5 on the board in their 20 overs. Rohit was sensational, hammering 12 fours and 10 sixes in his innings, which came at a strike rate of 274.41.
Incredibly, the Hitman was dismissed in the 13th over of India's innings, with the team score at 165. His opening partner in the game, KL Rahul, contributed 89 off 49 balls. In the chase, Sri Lanka was held to 172 as Yuzvendra Chahal claimed four wickets and Kuldeep Yadav three scalps.
#4 When Rohit slammed 100* off 56 in Bristol
Rohit scored another brilliant ton against England in Bristol in the third T20I of the three-match series in July 2018. The series was tied 1-1 and the Hitman stood up in the decider, with a stunning century chasing a challenging target.
Batting first, England put up 198-9 on the board as Jason Roy top-scored with 67 off 31. Rohit, however, lifted India to victory with a sensational innings. He hit an unbeaten 100 off only 56 balls, a knock that featured 11 fours and five sixes. Thanks to his stroke-filled innings, India chased down the target in 18.4 overs, with seven wickets in hand.
Shikhar Dhawan (5) and Rahul (19) fell inside the powerplay in India's chase. However, Rohit and Virat Kohli (43 off 29) added 89 for the third wicket to put the Men in Blue on course for victory. Hardik Pandya came in and chipped in with 33* off 14, adding an unbroken 50 for the fourth wicket with Rohit.
#3 Memorable cameo in the 2007 T20 World Cup final
When a mention of the 2007 T20 World Cup final played between India and Pakistan is made, the contributions of Gautam Gambhir (75 off 54), Irfan Pathan (3-16) and RP Singh (3-26) are often remembered.
Rohit, who had just entered international cricket at that time, also played a crucial role in India's triumph in the thrilling final in Johannesburg. During his 22-minute stay at the crease, he contributed a valuable 30* off only 16 balls, slamming two fours and a six.
The batter's cameo ensured that India crossed the 150-run mark in the final. Rohit's innings had a huge say in the final analysis as Team India won the game by a slender margin of five runs.
#2 Scoring a dazzling 92 off 41 against Australia in 2024 T20 World Cup Super 8 match
Australia and co. had given India a massive heartbreak in Ahmedabad on November 19, 2023, by winning the ODI World Cup final. When the teams clashed in St Lucia in the Super 8 stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup, Rohit was a man on a mission. He completely flayed the Aussie attack from the word go.
In a brutal assault, the kind that few batters have managed to pull off against the Aussie bowling line-up, the 37-year-old hammered 92 off only 41 balls, clobbering seven fours and eight sixes. The Indian captain took on Mitchell Starc in the third and slammed left-armer for four sixes and a four.
Rohit raced to a 19-ball fifty, the fastest of the 2024 T20 World Cup and kept going after the bowlers. He missed out on a well-deserved hundred as he was bowled by Starc. However, the innings went a long way in ensuring victory for Team India.
#1 Guiding India to 2024 T20 World Cup triumph
Rohit was dismissed for 9 in the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Barbados. However, he ended up leading the side to victory in the summit clash. In his own words, this was the 'greatest time' of his career. But obviously, it features on the top of the list of his most memorable moments in T20Is.
The Indian bowlers did a great job to pull off a heist, after South Africa needed just a run-a-ball in the last five overs. However, Rohit also deserves his share of the credit for making crucial decisions under pressure. He asked Jasprit Bumrah to bowl the 16th and 18th over, knowing there was no point in holding him back.
Right through the 2024 T20 World Cup, the Indian skipper made several key decisions that had game-defining impacts. It eventually culminated in a triumph for the ages for Rohit and his bunch of boys - champions to be precise.