Rohit Sharma Breaks ODI Sixes Record, Surpassing Shahid Afridi

Historic Achievement in ODI Cricket

On Sunday, Rohit Sharma etched his name in cricket history by breaking Shahid Afridi's long-standing record for the most sixes in One-Day Internationals (ODIs). This milestone was reached during India's opening ODI against South Africa at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi, where he hit his 352nd six.

A New Benchmark in ODI Sixes

Rohit surpassed Afridi's previous record of 351 sixes, a title Afridi held since 2015. Coming into the match, Rohit needed just three sixes to take the lead. Remarkably, he achieved this in 100 fewer innings than Afridi, accumulating 352 sixes in just 269 innings.

Rohit's Explosive Batting Performance

During the match, Rohit showcased his explosive batting by hitting two sixes off Prenelan Subrayen and another off Marco Jansen. He became the fastest player to reach 350 sixes in ODIs, accomplishing this feat in only 277 matches.

Leading ODI Six-Hitters

Following Rohit and Afridi, Chris Gayle ranks third with 331 sixes, while Sanath Jayasuriya and MS Dhoni follow with 270 and 229 sixes, respectively.

Match Highlights: India vs South Africa

In the India vs South Africa ODI, both Rohit and Virat Kohli made their returns to the field. South Africa's stand-in captain Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to bowl first.

Rohit's Record-Breaking Innings

Rohit opened the innings and was initially dropped by South Africa's Tony de Zorzi when he had just one run. Seizing the opportunity, he struck a couple of boundaries off Marco Jansen in the seventh over. Together with Kohli, he maintained a strike rate exceeding 100.

In the 15th over, Rohit unleashed his power hitting, scoring two consecutive sixes off Prenelan Subrayen. He reached his 60th ODI fifty in the 19th over, and shortly after, he hit another six, breaking Afridi's record and bringing his total to 352 sixes.

Rohit, however, could not convert his fifty into a century, as he was dismissed by Jansen in the 22nd over, scoring 57 runs off 51 balls, which included five boundaries and three sixes.