Rohit Sharma in the IPL: The transformation from 2008-2017 in pictures

Modified May 16, 2017 11:22 IST

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 19: Rohit Sharma of Deccan Chargers hits out at Brendon McCullum of Kolkata looks on during the IPL T20 match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders on April 19, 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)

2012 - Emergence of the IPL star

KOLKATA, INDIA MAY 12: Mumbai Indian Player Rohit Sharma acknowledges the crowd after his century during the match between Kolkata Knight Rides and Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens on May 12, 2012 in Kolkata, India. Mumbai Indians won the match and chose to bat. (Photo by Subhendu Ghosh/Hindustan Times )

Hours before the first game of the season, Sachin Tendulkar stepped down from the captaincy, handling the mantle to Harbhajan Singh. In a way, it made Rohit a more prominent member of the team, with Tendulkar’s absence enabling him to step up and be counted.

Against the Kolkata Knight Riders, eventual champions of the edition, Rohit compiled his first, and only IPL hundred, joining an elite list of cricketers to have scored a ton in the tournament till then. The change from one franchise to another seemed to be seamless, and Rohit started to be identified as a central character in the Mumbai line-up.

2013 - The turning point of his career

Rohit evolved from a talented youngster to a modern bigwig in 2013.

The year was a breakthrough one for Rohit, catapulting him from a talented youngster to a modern bigwig. Ricky Ponting moved away from the captaincy, giving Rohit Sharma the full right over the team. The team won four and lost as many in the first leg of the tournament, before effecting a stunning turnaround with six wins and eventually won the title.

He was in red-hot form with the bat, scoring 538 runs with four fifties to his credit.