Sydney masterclass! Rohit Sharma’s century no. 33 sees him surpass Virat Kohli, equals Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI Feat
Rohit Sharma put in a sensational performance in Sydney, scoring his 33rd ODI century, winning the Player of the Series award and rewriting cricket history. He surpasses Virat Kohli in the records and cements his place among India’s cricket greats, equaling Sachin Tendulkar’s legendary milestone.
After announcing his retirement from T20I cricket following India’s 2024 World Cup victory in America and quitting Test cricket in May, Rohit Sharma chose to focus on ODI cricket and set his sights on the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa. Despite being suddenly stripped of his captaincy, the star opener was unaffected and finished as top scorer in India’s ODI series against Australia on Saturday.
Rohit scored a total of 202 runs in the Sydney ODI with an impressive record of 121 unbeaten. His average of 101 and strike rate of 85.59 have highlighted his ability to maintain consistency and fluidity, especially since his return to the Indian team in March, when he led India to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai.
With his outstanding performance in the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Rohit not only led India to a dominant nine-wicket win but also won the ‘Player of the Series’ award. This was Rohit’s 33rd ODI century, his ninth against Australia and his sixth on Australian soil. With this last century, he surpassed Virat Kohli’s record of five centuries in just 32 innings. Additionally, he matched Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most hundreds by an Indian against Australia.
“That’s what you expect from Australia. It’s not going to be easy; the bowlers are quality. You have to understand the situation, understand the situation and see what you can do best. I had a bit of certainty in my mind about how I’m going to go in this tournament. Even though we don’t win the series, we’ll accept a lot of positive developments,” Rohit said after the match.
“I love playing in Australia and Sydney in general. It’s a great ground, a great crowd and a great venue as well. I love doing what I do. And hopefully I can continue to do that,” he added.
In total, Rohit reached the milestone of 50 international centuries, including 12 in Test matches, 33 in ODIs and five in T20Is. His innings in Sydney followed a 73-run performance in Adelaide and a modest eight runs in Perth.
The 38-year-old gave India a strong start by hitting three sixes and 13 boundaries, creating a 69-run partnership with fellow opener and skipper Shubman Gill. After Gill’s dismissal, Rohit formed a crucial 168-run partnership with Kohli, who finished the match unbeaten on 74.
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