Rohit Sharma shatters Sourav Ganguly's 20-year-old World Cup feat, breaks massive AB de Villiers record
Rohit Sharma shattered a massive feat set by Sourav Ganguly 20 years ago, at the 2003 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma once again silenced his critics on Sunday, scoring a half-century in India's final 2023 World Cup league stage fixture against Netherlands, in Bengaluru. Since becoming Team India skipper, he has been under a lot of pressure which also saw him battling for form. But in this World Cup, he has responded in style, setting the stage for Virat Kohli's heroics in almost every match for India. (IND vs NED LIVE SCORE and LATEST UPDATES)
The swashbuckling opener smacked 61 runs off 54 balls, packed with eight fours and two sixes, eventually losing his wicket to Bas de Leede in the first innings. The knock also saw him shatter Sourav Ganguly's 20-year-old World Cup record as India's highest run-scoring captain in a single campaign. Ganguly registered 465 runs in the 2003 World Cup, in 11 innings and with a high score of 111. He also hammered three centuries. Meanwhile, Rohit has now bagged 503 in nine innings in this World Cup, with a high score of 131. During the ongoing campaign, he also picked a ton and three half-centuries.
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Rohit's record-breaking spree didn't just end there! Ahead of the game, he was tied with AB de Villers for most sixes hit by a batter in ODI cricket in a calendar year. Rohit got two sixes during his knock, and first broke the record when he clobbered off-spinner Colin Ackermann into the long-on boundary in the seventh over.. Now Rohit has 60 sixes in 2023, in 24 innings. Meanwhile, De Villiers got 58 in 2015, which he did in 18 innings.
Rohit is currently the fourth highest run-scorer in this World Cup. India are the only unbeaten team in this World Cup, and will look to end it that way in the league stage on Sunday. They are scheduled to face 2019 runners-up New Zealand in the first semi-final, in Mumbai on Wednesday. Both sides faced each other in the 2019 World Cup semis, and New Zealand came out on top in a match, which stretched to another day due to rain.
