Rohit Sharma's 16 years of international cricket: Reliving his 3 best years in ODIs

On June 23, Rohit Sharma completed 16 years in international cricket for India. The current India skipper made his international debut against Ireland in an ODI game on June 23, 2007, at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast.

Since his debut, Rohit has been a massive contributor to Indian cricket, breaking a plethora of records with his willow.

So far, the Mumbai-born batter has amassed 17,115 runs across 461 international innings. This includes a ridiculous number of half-centuries (91) and 43 centuries as well.

As Rohit Sharma celebrates the 16th anniversary of his debut in international cricket, we take a look at three of his best years in terms of runs in ODI matches for India.

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#3 2013 - 1,196 runs

Rohit Sharma has been most prolific in ODI cricket

Entering the Indian team as a middle-order batter, Rohit Sharma showed glimpses of his raw talent in his initial years. He always had enormous potential but couldn't establish himself in the team, and he endured a tough 2012, where he averaged below 13 in as many ODIs.

However, the then-Indian skipper, MS Dhoni, took a punt on Rohit opening the innings for the side, and the strategy truly transformed the Mumbai batter. The move converted the right-hander from a handy middle-order batter into a world-class opener for India.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 was one of the earliest events where Rohit opened for India and he looked good, scoring 177 runs in the tournament. He then continued to pile up an impressive amount of runs batting in the top-order.

However, Rohit enjoyed a dream series when Australia toured India for a seven-game ODI rubber. Rohit top-scored in the series, with 491 runs across six innings, including his first-ever double hundred in the series decider.

Rohit ended the year of 2013 with 1,196 runs at an average of 52, including two hundreds and eight half-centuries (most fifties in any year for him).

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#2 2017 - 1,293 runs

Bangladesh v India - ICC Champions Trophy Semi Final

From one Champions Trophy year to another, 2017 also saw Rohit notch up a huge amount of runs. This year witnessed sheer dominance from India's two modern-day legends - Rohit and Virat Kohli.

While Kohli was the highest ODI run-getter of the year with 1,460 runs (in 26 ODIs), Rohit was just below his partner on the list with 1,293 runs in 21 ODIs at an average of over 71.

He played his first ODI of the year at the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in June, where he scored 304 runs at an average of 76.00. In the next assignment against Sri Lanka away from home, he slammed two more centuries before again dominating Australia and New Zealand at home.

The 36-year-old capped off the year with a memorable double-century against Sri Lanka in Mohali. It was his third double ton in ODIs, the most by any player in the history of the format.

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#1 2019 - 1,490 runs

India v Pakistan - ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 [Getty Images]

Another year of an ICC tournament, and another year of sheer brilliance by Rohit Sharma. The 'Hitman' seems to take his ODI game onto another level in a year of a major ICC tournament and the Indian fans will be hoping for him to repeat the same pattern this year too.

Talking about 2019, Rohit amassed as many as 1,490 runs at an average of 57.30 and at a strike rate of 89.92 across 27 innings.

Rohit started 2019 with a bang, smashing a century in Sydney against Australia. After scoring a total of 371 runs in the next two ODI series, Rohit began his ICC World Cup 2019 campaign with a resounding ton against South Africa.

The 2019 World Cup saw the most consistent version of Rohit. He ended the tournament as the highest run-getter with 648 runs at an immaculate average of 81.00 across only nine innings. He also hammered as many as five centuries in the competition, the most by any batter in a single edition of a World Cup.

Rohit ended the year with another 'Player of the Series' performance when he mustered 258 runs at an average of 86.00 across three innings against the West Indies at home.

He broke every record in 2019 and unsurprisingly finished the year as the highest run-getter in ODIs and across all formats, with 2,442 international runs combined.