Credit: X
He is not called the 'Hitman' for nothing. Rohit Sharma becomes one of the most special batters to watch ever when he gets going. And truth be told, he does that when the stakes are high and when the pressure is enormous. He's also a rare talent that he's hit multiple hundreds much like legends such as Mark Waugh in the space of a single ODI world cup edition. A fearsome lad and an utterly uncomplicated cricketer who loves the art of batting and has, if you think about it, done his fair bit to make batsmanship a glowing skill and something for more fans to fall in love with.
Some of the top 5 knocks of Rohit Sharma in ODI world cup contests actually highlight the significance of his talent and the very fact that the man with the midas touch in batting gets going when there's incessant competition and where the going gets tough.
Let's look at top knocks of Rohit Sharma in ODI World Cup History:
87 v England in 2023 ODI World Cup
One of the most good looking knocks from the bat of the great man, one that became a sheer joy to the eyes was that knock of 87 that Rohit Sharma fired in the 2023 ODI men's world cup stunning England and ensuring that the hosts, India were on the driver's seat.
In that exciting contest that was played at Lucknow, Rohit Sharma's articulation of the English bowling commandered by the likes of Adil Rashid, David Willey, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes saw a great team result for India, who went on to win the game by a margin of 100 runs.
On a difficult wicket where the runs were hard to come by, Rohit still found a way to hit 3 sixes and 10 fours.
How Rohit stood out in that knock was that in the very same inning, the great batters of the class of Kohli, Gill and Iyer perished for single-digit scores- making just 13 among them.
140 v Pakistan in the 2019 ODI World Cup
An India versus Pakistan contest is usually a great occasion to celebrate the sport becoming an occasion to look forward to for the sheer thrill element it packs, but the game reaches an epic peak of sorts when the two sides come together in a World cup contest. Don't you think so?
But then, while batters make lots of runs all the time, scoring big in a world cup contest amplifies their true skill. One such batter- someone who is charismatic as he is appealing- is Rohit Sharma, who in the 2019 ODI world cup scored what can be described as one of the great hundreds from the willow of an Indian.
His talent was extraordinary on that occasion, as was his timing and the ability to pierce the gaps with the skill of a surgeon. In his timely and exciting knock of 140, which will always be considered among the top 5 knocks of Rohit Sharma in ODI world cup history, the Mumbai-born batter hit Pakistani bowlers for 14 fours and 3 sixes.
He was unsparing and unrelenting against the likes of Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz as also Mohammad Amir. But scoring a big hundred is one thing, taking the team to the path of win another. Rohit, on that occasion, did both and even took his team to a mighty first-inning score of 336, which was a delight because the effort came during a World Cup contest.
122 v South Africa in 2019 ODI World Cup
It may not have been an exceptionally quickfire knock but even in taking 144 deliveries to hit his very balanced, very methodical and always-great-to-watch 122 runs, Rohit Sharma hit a match-winning century against South Africa in India's first contest in that year's world cup against the Proteas unit.
In some ways, there's a hint of nostalgia about this particular Rohit Sharma knock in that back in those days, he used to open the innings alongside then-usual batting partner Shikhar Dhawan.
Hitting 13 boundaries and 2 sixes, Sharma, then playing his second-ever Men's ODI world cup contest made it for spectacular viewing in that not only did his gritty hundred help his team win the important contest but his effort was so far ahead of his others that the next-best score in the line-up was Dhoni's 34.
South Africa had been found wanting in that contest and were able to make only 227.
Rohit Sharma's 137 v Bangladesh in 2015 ODI World Cup
One of the innings that features among the top 5 knocks of Rohit Sharma in ODI World Cup was that incredible 137 that came against Bangladesh, which now, if you think about it, came a decade back in the day.
Sharma's usually described as a clutch player for his incredible ability at changing gears whilst batting and on that occasion he scored 137 of his team's 302 runs during a time where India batted first.
Taking just 126 deliveries to score his magnificent 137 runs, Rohit was brutal and at the same time poetic in that inning, striking 14 fours and 3 sixes.
But despite being powered by Shakib, Mushfiqur, and Tamim, classy talents and greats for their country in their own right, Rohit Sharma's mountain of a knock fell harsh on Bangladesh who simply weren't able to come close to matching the Indian batting great's heroics. No other Indian batter on that occasion, whether Shikhar, Virat and Rahane were able to score significant amount of runs and that puts the right-hander in his own league.
64 v Ireland in 2015 ODI World Cup
Many a times, Rohit has fired big runs on his own, often doing the bulwark of his entire team's scoring and then, there have always been occasions where he's dutifully and beautifully supported other fluently scoring batters.
On this occasion, one which would result in an impressive win for India saw Rohit doing the latter gracefully as ever, scoring 64 off 66 deliveries as he and Dhawan helped India chase down Ireland's competitive team total of 259.
On that occasion, Rohit's elegant timing and brisk scoring caught the eye of the cricket fan and the knock turned out to be vital fifty that to India's great fortune, came in a winning cause.
The knock among others must be counted among the top 5 knocks of Rohit Sharma in ODI world cup.
Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQ)
Q1. Which is Rohit Sharma's most memorable ODO world cup century?
Back in the 2019, Rohit made a classy 140 v Pakistan in the Men's ODI World Cup in England
Q2. Which has been Rohit Sharma's great world cup knock vs Afghanistan?
He had made a splendid 2023 ODI World Cup century against the Afghans at home in India.
Q3. Has Rohit Sharma also rubbed England the rough way in men's ODI World Cup contests?
He made a fluent 87 v England in the year 2023, which actually also happens to be one of his finest one-day fifties ever
