Rohit Sharma Achieves Milestone as Fastest Opener to 16,000 Runs in ODI History
Historic Achievement by Rohit Sharma
During the first ODI match between India and Afghanistan at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamshala, Rohit Sharma made headlines by setting a remarkable world record, despite a brief innings. The 38-year-old cricketer scored 16 runs off the same number of balls before being run out due to a mix-up with Shubman Gill. This match marked Rohit's return after a six-month hiatus as he aims to secure his place in India's squad for the 2027 Cricket World Cup. Notably, he became the oldest player to represent India in ODIs.
Rohit's Record-Breaking Performance
Rohit achieved a significant milestone by becoming the fastest opener to accumulate 16,000 runs in international cricket. He reached this landmark with a six off Azmatullah Omarzai during the third over of the innings, as India chased a target of 195 runs in a rain-affected 25-over match. This achievement allowed him to surpass the previous record held by Australian cricket star David Warner, accomplishing the feat in just 384 innings across all formats.
Fastest to 16,000 Runs as an Opener in Men's International Cricket
| Player | Innings |
| Rohit Sharma | 384 |
| David Warner | 390 |
| Graeme Smith | 392 |
| Virender Sehwag | 394 |
| Chris Gayle | 415 |
Rohit is now the seventh player in the history of international cricket to surpass this milestone while opening the batting. Among Indian players, only Virender Sehwag had previously achieved this, and Rohit is just 110 runs shy of surpassing Sehwag to become the most prolific Indian opener in international cricket. Rohit is the first Indian opener to reach 16,000 runs, while Sehwag's total stands at 15,758 runs for the national team, with the remaining 361 runs scored while representing the ICC and Asian XI. Rohit boasts the highest strike rate of 93.03 among players who have scored over 16,000 runs as openers, narrowly edging out Sehwag. Additionally, his average of 45.22 is the best among this elite group, surpassing Warner's previous record of 42.89. Overall, Rohit has amassed 20,125 runs in international cricket, with 4,105 of those runs coming from his middle-order batting.