Ranking Rohit Sharma’s greatest innings for India

Rohit Sharma is starting to be talked about amongst India’s greatest limited overs batsman in history. This is for good reason. Sharma finds ways to consistently score runs for India in the colored clothing and is one of the main reason for India’s limited overs success over the last 5 years or so. As an opening batsman, it is Sharma’s temperament that sets him apart. Martin Guptill and Chris Gayle are the only other ODI opening batsman who can score scores of 150+ at a rate as consistent as Rohit Sharma.

Throughout this article, I will rank the 4 innings that I believe to be Rohit Sharma’s greatest in his career to date. They may not be his highest scores, but they will be his most impressive given his teams' circumstances, and the impact the innings has on the match situation.

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#4 209 vs Australia at Bangalore in November 2013

Let me set the scene for this innings. It was the 7th and deciding ODI match of the series between India and Australia. Before this match, there had only been 2 double centurions in ODI history. India was sent in to bat by Australia in what was a puzzling decision by skipper George Bailey. The pitch looked good and had no obvious demons in it.

As Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan walked out to bat, no one in the ground would have imagined what was to come. It was absolute carnage. Sharma pummelled 16 sixes and 12 fours on his way to 209 before finally being dismissed in the last over on the innings. His runs came off just 158 balls. His strike rate was a ridiculous 132 runs scored per 100 balls faced. The fact that this was a series-deciding match is what makes this so impressive. Because of Sharma’s batting India went on to win the series that would go down as one of the highest scoring ODI series in history.

Unsurprisingly, Sharma was named the man of the match for his efforts in setting Australia a mammoth 383 runs to chase.

#3 100* against England at Bristol in a T20 match in July 2018

Sharma’s most recent innings to make this list is far from his least impressive. Sharma blitzed England’s bowling attack on his way to an outstanding score of 100 not out in the 3rd T20 match of the series. Sharma scored his runs at a strike rate of 178 runs scored per 100 balls faced. He bludgeoned 11 fours and 5 sixes on his way to the second highest T20I score of his career. There were numerous things about this innings that made it so impressive.

Firstly, he was playing away from home in English conditions. Despite conditions being batsman-friendly, they are still very different to what he is used to in India. Secondly, he scored these runs in the deciding match of the series. The extra pressure of this match being a winner takes all event makes his knock even more impressive. And thirdly, he scored these runs in a winning cause against the best-limited overs team in the world right now. England has been unstoppable in ODI and Twenty20 cricket over the last 24 months. All these reasons are why I rank this knock so highly among all of Sharma’s other efforts with the bat.

#2 171* vs Australia at Perth in January 2016

Whilst this may not be one of Rohit Sharma’s top 3 ODI scored in his career, I have still put it at second on his all-time most impressive innings. It was the first ODI of a highly anticipated series between India and Australia. The venue was the hallowed WACA, a graveyard for subcontinent teams over many years due to the fast and bouncy nature of the pitch. Despite India being unable to win the match Indian fans still got to witness something special. Sharma carried his bat through the innings. He scored 171* in the process. His runs came at an impressive strike rate of 104 runs per 100 balls faced. There are a couple of reasons why this innings is ranked so highly.

First off, to produce a score like this in any innings is impressive, but to do it in Australia, at the hardest venue for touring teams to play at is nothing short of extraordinary. Secondly to carry his bat through the innings is unbelievable in the is day and age. All Sharma needed was more support from the other end and India could have easily produced a match-winning score of 350+.

#1 264 vs Sri Lanka at Kolkata in November 2014

In what ranks as the highest ODI individual score in history to date, it was impossible not to rank this innings as Rohit’s greatest ever. The sheer multitude of runs scored by Sharma that day was astounding, as was the crisp power hitting and intelligent stroke play. Sharma scored his 264 runs at a strike rate of 152 runs scored per 100 balls faced. He basically batted through the whole innings, only being dismissed off the last ball of the innings. He struck 33 fours and 9 sixes in his knock.

Again, there are a couple of things that make this knock more special than any of the previous innings mentioned. Firstly, as mentioned, the fact that this innings is still the highest individual total scored in ODI history is impressive. To be ahead of players such as Chris Gayle, Gilchrist, Hayden, McCullum etc is a fantastic achievement. Secondly, Sharma’s total of 264 was higher than the entire total posted by the Sri Lankan team!