Mumbai: Rohit Sharma, the star opener of the Indian cricket team, made headlines on Wednesday by becoming the first batter to hit more than 50 sixes in the World Cup tournament, breaking the record previously held by West Indies player Chris Gayle, who had hit 49 sixes.
Rohit Sharma, the ‘Hitman’, of the Indian team not only set a new overall record but also emerged as the batsman hitting the most sixes in a single World Cup edition.
This accomplishment once again witnessed him surpass Chris Gayle, who had smashed 26 maximums in the 2015 World Cup. Rohit’s historic moment occurred in the fifth over of the match against New Zealand, pulling a delivery from Trent Boult over deep backward square for his 50th six in World Cups. The crowd erupted in celebration as he engraved his name in the history books.
Rohit Sharma has already hit 51 sixes in this tournament and secured another record for the most sixes in a single edition of the World Cup, tallying 27 sixes in the 2023 edition. He also reached the milestone of 2,000 runs as the captain of India in 44 matches. During his recent innings, Rohit scored 47 runs in 29 deliveries before being caught by Kane Williamson off the bowling of Tim Southee.
Driven by the letdown of their 2019 World Cup semi-final defeat, where Martin Guptill’s runout deeply disappointed Indian fans, the Indian cricket team is now determined to seek redemption. Four years later, India is focused on avenging that loss by securing their first victory against New Zealand since 2003.