New Delhi: Hitman Rohit Sharma went on a record-breaking spree as he galloped to an 84-ball 131, to help Team India decimate Afghanistan by 8 wickets in their World Cup clash at Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Wednesday evening.
In a masterful display of artistic batting sans any wild slogging, Rohit hit 16 delightful fours and 5 equally eye-pleasing sixes as his team chased down a target of 273 in just 35 overs after Jasprit Bumrah (4/39) had enjoyed his best day in the World Cup.
Ishan Kishan got another chance to open the batting as dengue-hit Shubman Gill stayed out of action, and made a run-a-ball 47 as he watched his captain pepper the boundaries with amazing frequency.
It was India’s second win in as many games, and a fitting way to build up for the marquee contest against Pakistan at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14.
Early in his innings, Rohit surpassed Chris Gayle’s tally of 553 sixes in international cricket (Tests, ODIs and T20Is) to sit top of the pile. And when he reached his century off 63 balls, Rohit broke Kapil Dev’s 40-year-old record of the fastest hundred by an Indian in World Cup.
He also toppled the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s record of maximum World Cup hundreds with his seventh ton. While Tendulkar had got six centuries in six World Cup editions, Rohit is playing only his third ODI World Cup.
ROHIT SHARMA’S RECORDS AT A GLANCE
* Most hundreds in World Cup (7)
* Most sixes in international cricket (556)
* Most sixes by an Indian in World Cup
* Most runs in Powerplay for India in an ODI.
