Rohit Sharma returned to runs in an emphatic show of brilliance against the mighty Kiwis, as the Indian skipper brought up his first ODI century in 509 days, a feat that would do a world of good for the Indian outfit in the year of the ICC World Cup.
Put to bat first, India came all guns blazing at the Kiwis in a stadium that has very small boundaries and the ball would frequently spring forth from the bat and race away to the ropes. Both Rohit and Shubman got off to absolute blinders with the Indian captain dictating the narrative with an iron fist.
The last time Rohit smashed the three-figure mark in international cricket was in September 2021 in the Oval Test against England. Since then, he has been a part of 53 innings across formats where he smashed 1555 runs with 12 fifties.
In today’s encounter against New Zealand, Rohit led from the very front as he smashed 9 fours and 6 sixes, sailing hammer and tongs to that much-eluded mark that would restore faith in the hearts of the Indian fans that India’s skipper is getting back to runs.
Rohit smashed his 30th ODI century, juxtaposing him alongside Ricky Ponting for the third-most centuries in ODIs. Rohit is now behind two Indian cricketers in ODIs in terms of centuries with Sachin leading the line with 49 centuries and Virat Kohli with 46 centuries.
12 of these centuries have come at home, also making Rohit the joint fifth-highest centurion in the antiquity of ODIs alongside that of former RCB batter, Ross Taylor. Rohit Sharma also hammered a fine half-century in the second ODI against New Zealand where India cruised away to the finish line after New Zealand took a sharp tumble at the face of a marauding Indian bowling unit.
