A remarkable feat awaits India's captain, Rohit Sharma, as he stands just 78 runs shy of the illustrious 10,000-run landmark in One Day Internationals (ODIs). The upcoming Super 4 clash of the Asia Cup 2023 against arch-rivals Pakistan promises to be more than just a match for Rohit and his myriad of fans.
Currently, this elite 10,000-run club boasts the presence of Indian cricket stalwarts. Leading the pack is Virat Kohli, achieving the milestone in just 205 innings. Following him is the cricketing god of India, Sachin Tendulkar, who took 259 innings. Former captain Sourav Ganguly currently sits at the No. 3 spot, having accomplished this feat in 263 innings. With Sharma having batted in only 239 ODI innings so far, he's poised to surpass Ganguly should he score those crucial 78 runs against Pakistan.
Fastest to 10000 ODI runs in terms of innings batted:
Virat Kohli-205
Sachin Tendulkar- 259
Sourav Ganguly-263
A glance at Rohit Sharma's illustrious ODI career reveals an intriguing pattern. A significant 68 per cent of his ODI runs, amounting to 4,941 out of 7,268 runs, have been scored since he took the mantle of opening the innings for India. His prowess against Pakistan is particularly commendable. With a cumulative score of 731 runs, Sharma is the highest run-scorer against Pakistan in the current Indian squad. However, his scores have been somewhat polarized; boasting 5 fifty-plus innings out of 9, while falling below the 20-run mark on 4 occasions since 2013.
Left-arm pacers have proven to be a consistent challenge for Sharma in the past. In two of the last five innings against Pakistan, he fell prey to their skillful deliveries, first to Mohammad Amir in 2017 and then to Shaheen Shah Afridi in 2023.
Analyzing his batting approach further, Sharma has displayed aggressive intent during the initial 10 overs over the recent years. While he maintained a strike rate of 101 in 2022, it slightly increased to 105 in 2023. But a notable pattern emerges here too: of his eight dismissals in this phase, half were courtesy of left-arm pacers, including names like England's Reece Topley, Australia's Mitchell Starc, and Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi.
To bolster their defense and offense against left-arm pacers, the Indian squad, led by Sharma, has been indulging in specialised practice sessions. This preparation aims to neutralize the left-arm pacer threat, particularly from Shaheen Afridi, who had the better of Sharma in the group stages of the Asia Cup. The stage is set as India and Pakistan gear up for another memorable clash, cricket enthusiasts will keenly watch Sharma's journey to the 10,000-run milestone.
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