Record-breaking Rohit Sharma delights Lucknowites

Rohit Sharma

Forget Christopher Gayle. It's our own hitman Rohit Sharma who has emerged as the most devastating batsman in white-ball cricket. There is no better sight in the game than Rohit in full flow. The Lucknowites were lucky to see him in top gear when international cricket returned to the city after 24 years, as he hammered his fourth T20I century, the most in the format.

Virat Kohli may be the top batsman in all three formats, but whenever the regular Indian captain decides to take a break, Rohit fills in more than adequately - both as a stand-in skipper and premier batsman. We saw it in the recent Asia Cup in the UAE last month and now in the T20I series against the West Indies.

Rohit who already holds the world record of three double centuries ODIs, increased his profile in T20I as well, as he stands alone with four hundreds, two more than Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill. He has now the second highest aggregate in T20I at 2196 runs in 86 matches, just behind Guptill's 2271 from 75. On the way, he also went past Kohli's 2102 in 62 games as the best by an Indian. Of course, these are hard stats. But the grace and ease with which he caresses the white ball is worth going miles to see.

And those present at the AB Vajpayee stadium here, were fortunate enough to see the full range of his strokes through six sixes and eight fours, in his unbeaten 111 in just 61 balls. Even the great Brian Lara is in awe of Rohit. "I love his batting. No doubt batting in Indian conditions is favourable, on most occasions. But the way he despatches the ball is a sight to behold. Invariable when he is on song, he gets a big score for the team," Lara had commented on Rohit recently.

Also read: Diwali comes early for India as Rohit Sharma and Co clinch 71-run win against West Indies

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