Although his World Cup ambition was dashed at the final hurdle, Rohit Sharma was at his outstanding form with the bat at the just ended global event.
The Indian captain continued where he left off in 2019, scoring 597 runs at an average of 54.27. What pushed out was his 125.94 strike rate while clobbered 31 sixes, far the highest by any batter in the competition.
Rohit Sharma’s role in the 2023 World Cup was clear: he would provide India with the sort of quickfire starts required to set the tone early on. There was a method to his madness as he utilized his feet to push the bowlers off their lengths and force them to bowl to the strengths of the Indian hitters.
His selfless attitude throughout the competition, which was obvious in the final, as he scored 47 against Australia, was praised by analysts all over the world. While the search for a World Cup gold continues, Rohit’s batting performance in the competition was unforgettable.
On that topic, here are his five most beautiful knocks from the season:
5. 40 vs South Africa in Kolkata
The top-of-the-table matchup between India and South Africa in the 2023 World Cup was played on a slick Eden Gardens field in Kolkata. The hosts chose to bat first, and Rohit Sharma justified their decision by destroying the combination of Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi.
The pitch looked great – at least while the Indian captain was out there. On a ground with which he has a unique love affair, he batted in T20 mode, with six fours and two sixes highlighting his 24-ball 40-run knock.
In the sixth over, South African skipper Temba Bavuma was forced to rely on Kagiso Rabada. After stepping out, the aggressive Rohit Sharma mishit a ball to mid-off.
As the surface became more difficult to bat on as the game progressed, the significance of his innings develop. India had scored 91 runs in the opening ten overs, giving Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer plenty of time to get their eye in before pushing towards a par-plus total.
4. 46 vs New Zealand in Dharamsala
When India faced New Zealand at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, the pitch was far from ideal for batting. Both teams were looking for their sixth consecutive victory in the 2023 World Cup. After being asked to bat first, the Blackcaps scored 273 runs, led by Daryl Mitchell’s 127.
Even though Trent Boult and Matt Henry got the ball to seam about a lot, India’s reaction was encouraging. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill expertly used their feet to nullify the seam movement while choosing the gaps at will.
The former delivered a masterclass in dealing with elite fast bowlers, hitting four boundaries and as many sixes in his 40-ball 46. Off Lockie Ferguson, he played onto his stumps, but his start guaranteed that India had the basis to win a difficult chase.
3. 86 vs Pakistan in Ahmedabad
India’s bowlers set the tone for the main match versus Pakistan at the 2023 World Cup. The supremacy of Jasprit Bumrah, along with the control of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja in the middle overs, meant that the Men in Blue only had to chase 192.
The first ball of the chase was a flick past square leg as Rohit Sharma asserted his dominance over the battle and the opposition’s main danger, Shaheen Afridi. Gill, who entered the event after recovering from dengue fever, was unable to capitalize on a strong start. Kohli didn’t score much, either, but Rohit was unstoppable.
He smashed any bowler in sight, handling with Haris Rauf’s additional pace with ease while developing a crush on Shadab Khan and discarding any pie into the stands. A record seventh World Cup ton was in reach when he was outfoxed by Shaheen’s slower one.
Nonetheless, Rohit Sharma’s 63-ball 86 added to his developing World Cup reputation as India cruised home against their arch-rivals.
2. 131 vs Afghanistan in Delhi
The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, comfortably the flattest ground that India played on at the 2023 World Cup, saw Afghanistan put their bowlers to the test. The Afghans had a challenging score of 272/8 to work with, but Rohit Sharma’s blistering start put their bowlers at bay.
It was a thrilling batting outburst as he clobbered Fazalhaq Farooqi and neutralized his danger while busting records at will. Not only did he surpass Chris Gayle as the most prolific six-hitter in international cricket, but he also scored the then-fastest World Cup century by an Indian while the only catchers on show were the fans.
By the time Rashid Khan entered the attack, India had reached 125/0 in 14 overs, with Rohit Sharma on 88. The ace spinner did take Rohit’s wicket, but not before the latter hammered 131 off 84 deliveries to beat Sachin Tendulkar’s World Cup record for most hundreds.
In the 26th over, India were at 205/2, and the chase was completed with a massive 15 overs to spare.
1. 87 vs England in Lucknow
A knock that was unlike any other he has played in the 2023 World Cup. Nonetheless, it was Rohit’s greatest performance of the tournament and one of the best on a challenging field in recent memory.
England dominated India at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, where the ground was slow and not favorable to stroke-making. Despite frequently taking the bull by the horns in the powerplay, Rohit Sharma modified his template to meet the needs of the day.
He teed off after surviving some great bowling from Chris Woakes and David Willey, even playing out a maiden first up, before slowing down due to wickets dropping around him. He anchored alongside KL Rahul as the duo rescued India from a precarious 40/3, sucking singles while ensuring the team had enough wickets in hand.
Rohit Sharma reached his fifty off 66 deliveries and then increased the ante by scoring 36 runs off the following 35 deliveries he faced. A century was on the cards, but he went for the big shot and holed out. While India only achieved 229 runs, it was 100 more than England, with to a red-hot Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah destroying their batting order.
Given the amount of dew that set in under the lights, the Men in Blue could have collapsed for a lot less and found it difficult with the ball if it hadn’t been for their captain’s gutsy 101-ball 87.
