Rohit Sharma led India to victory in their first ICC tournament in 11 years. On June 29, India won their second T20 World Cup by beating South Africa by seven runs, with their first win being in 2007.
Rohit Sharma became only the second Indian captain to win the T20 World Cup and announced his retirement from T20 cricket. He joins Virat Kohli, who had previously retired from T20Is.
At the post-match conference, Rohit said it was the right moment to retire after winning the trophy. He talked about his love for T20 cricket, which he started his career with.
“This was my last T20I game. There’s no better time to say goodbye. I’ve loved every moment of this. I wanted to win the cup,” Rohit said.
Rohit was the second-highest run-scorer in the 2024 World Cup, scoring 257 runs in eight matches with a strike rate of 156.7, including three half-centuries. He retires as the leading run-scorer in T20Is, with 4231 runs in 159 matches, 32 fifties, and five centuries.
As we say goodbye to one of India’s cricket greats, let’s look at Rohit Sharma’s top five T20I performances.
5. In a series led by Rohit Sharma, India defeats England.
In the final game of a three-match series between India and England in 2018, India won the toss and chose to bowl first. Jason Roy scored 67 runs, helping England reach a total of 198 runs.
India lost Shikhar Dhawan early, but Rohit Sharma played brilliantly. He scored 100 not out from 56 balls, hitting 11 fours and five sixes. Virat Kohli (43) and Hardik Pandya (33) also contributed. India won the match by seven wickets with eight balls to spare. Rohit’s century was his third in T20Is, and he was named Player of the Match.
4. Rohit led from the front against the West Indies in 2018
The West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first in the second game of a three-match series at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Indian captain Rohit Sharma played exceptionally well, hitting the ball all around the field.
Rohit scored 111 runs off 61 balls and remained not out, helping India reach 195 runs in their 20 overs. He hit eight fours and seven sixes.
The West Indies struggled with their batting and couldn’t chase the target. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kuldeep Yadav each took two wickets, leading India to a 71-run win.
3. In 2024, the captain of India demonstrates his class against Australia
India played their last Super-Eights game against Australia in the 2024 T20 World Cup. They lost Virat Kohli early, but Rohit Sharma performed excellently. In the third over, Rohit hit Mitchell Starc for four sixes and a four.
Rohit kept up his good form, scoring 92 runs off 41 balls, just eight runs short of a century. India set a total of 205 runs.
In reply, Travis Head scored 76 and Mitchell Marsh made 37, but Australia couldn’t reach the target. India won by 24 runs, making it to the semi-finals and putting Australia’s chances in jeopardy.
2. In 2024, the right-handed hitter beat Afghanistan in the T20s to record his greatest score
The second highlight is Rohit Sharma’s performance against Afghanistan earlier this year. In the final game of the series, India was in trouble at 22-4. Rohit and Rinku Singh then put together a 190-run partnership, with Rinku scoring 68, helping India reach 212 runs.
Rohit started slowly but then played strongly against the Afghan bowlers. He finished not out with 121 runs off 69 balls, hitting 11 fours and 8 sixes.
Afghanistan did well too, with Gurbaz, Gulbadin, and Ibrahim Zadran all scoring fifties, which took the game to a Super Over. India finally won after the second Super Over, as the first one was a tie.
1. Rohit Sharma’s 2017 record-breaking inning against Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field first in the second game of a three-match series at Holkar Stadium in 2017. They were caught off guard by the performance of Indian openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, who put on a fantastic 165-run partnership.
Rahul scored 89 runs off 49 balls, but Rohit stole the show by hitting the fastest T20 century by an Indian in just 35 balls. Rohit, who led the T20 World Cup-winning team, scored 118 runs off 43 balls, helping India reach a total of 260 runs. He hit 12 fours and 10 sixes.
In response, Kusal Perera scored 77 runs, but it wasn’t enough. India won the match comfortably by 88 runs, with Yuzvendra Chahal taking four wickets on this memorable day for Rohit Sharma.
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