Rohit Sharma's 5 biggest innings in ODI cricket

Rohit Sharma has had quite a journey over the years in international cricket. From being left out of the Indian squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011 to becoming India's captain across formats 11 years later, it has been a storied rise for the prodiguous talent from Mumbai.

Rohit Sharma first debuted for India in the ODI format, back in 2007. For a large part of his first six years, translating his potential into results at the international level was a massive problem for him.

In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that he flattered to deceive in the early stages of his career.

Rohit Sharma 2.0 - ODI opener

Rohit's career took a massive turn for the better after being made to open the batting during the home ODI series against England in January, 2013. The rest, as they say, is history. The 34-year-old, once struggling to average 30 in the 50-over format, now averages close to 50.

Rohit Sharma has accumulated 9283 runs and is very close to joining the exclusive 10000-run club in ODIs. Here, we take a look at his five biggest knocks in ODI cricket over the years:

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#5 162 vs West Indies in Mumbai, 2018

Rohit Sharma mesmerized the crowd at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, during the fourth one-dayer between India and West Indies in 2018. With the series tied at 1-1, India opted to bat first on a flat deck. Despite a solid start, the quick wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Virat Kohli put the visitors back in the game.

That's when the then Indian vice-captain combined forces with Ambati Rayudu to take the attack to the Windies bowlers. Rohit went about his business in a confident manner, making light work of the visitors' bowling attack en route to his 21st century in ODIs.

He then went into overdrive and clobbered 162 off just 137 deliveries. With 20 hits to the boundary, and four massive sixes to go with it. Rohit, along with Rayudu, who scored an 81-ball 100, powered India to a gargantuan score of 377/5. A paltry 153 is all that the West Indies could manage, handing India a resounding victory.

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#4 171* vs Australia in Perth, 2016

This was among the finest ODI innings played by an Indian batsman in the recent years. Sadly, it didn't end up on the winning side. Yet, Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 171 was quite a spectacle as India took on Australia at the WACA Stadium in Perth, in January 2016.

Batting first, India lost Shikhar Dhawan early but, in the company of Virat Kohli, the Mumbai Indians skipper piled on the misery for the Australian bowlers. A 207-run stand between India's two best present-day batsmen paved the way for a solid total.

Rohit switched gears seamlessly later on in his knock, like only he could. Studded with 13 fours and seven sixes, he carried his bat through the innings and powered India to 309/3.

Sadly though, for him and his team, it wasn't enough as centuries from Steve Smith and George Bailey saw Australia waltz to the target.

India lost the series by a margin of 4-1. But, with 441 runs, including two centuries and a 99, Rohit Sharma was declared the Player of the Series.

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#3 208* vs Sri Lanka in Mohali, 2017

We now enter the double-century territory of Rohit Sharma. If scoring a double-hundred in a one-dayer is an art, the Mumbai batsman is like Picasso.

Stepping up as the captain in the absence of Kohli, he tore into the Sri Lankan bowlers at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali, in December 2017. With India having meekly surrendered in the first ODI, the second one-dayer was a must-win encounter and the skipper led from the front.

It was the perfect template for constructing an innings in an ODI. The 'Hitman' took 115 deliveries to get to his hundred, post which he operated on overdrive.

It took him all of 36 deliveries to double his score from 100, taking the wind out of the Lankans' sails. Poor Nuwan Pradeep bore the brunt of the assault and was plundered for 106 runs in his 10 overs.

A third double-hundred in ODIs well and truly reiterated Sharma's credentials as a modern-day batting collosus. He finished up unbeaten on 208 at the end of the innings.

India racked up a mammoth 392/4, 141 runs too far for the visitors to climb as the hosts leveled the series before sealing it 2-1 in Visakhapatnam.

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#2 209 vs Australia in Bengaluru, 2013

A series that was nothing short of a six-hitting fest couldn't have asked for a more fitting venue for its climax. With the scoreline reading 2-2, India and Australia entered Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium on November 2, 2013 with everything to play for.

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan put together 112 for the opening wicket on an absolute batting paradise. However, Dhawan's dismissal was followed by Virat Kohli getting run out for a duck, owing to a miscommunication with Rohit.

But the current captain of the Indian team, took it upon himself to make amends and eased his way to a 6th ODI ton. Things had barely begun though! What followed thereafter, was sheer carnage!

In a display of power-hitting of the highest order, the right-handed opener played like there was no tomorrow and made mincemeat of the Australian attack. 100 became 150 within no time before he carried on to become the third batter to register a double-hundred in men's ODIs.

A then record-breaking 16 sixes is what the opener had piled up through the course of that innings. James Faulkner did give India a scare and nearly threatened to pull off the 384-run target, but it was always a bridge too far as India won the match and took the series 3-2.

It was this innings that proved to the world that his redemption arc was well and truly complete. It was, in a way, the coming of age of Rohit Sharma in international cricket.

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#1 264 vs Sri Lanka in Kolkata, 2014

Who said lightning can't strike twice? Rohit Sharma certainly doesn't believe that! This is a throwback to one of the finest comebacks that was scarcely believable.

The fourth ODI against Sri Lanka in 2014 was Rohit Sharma's first competitive game since he fractured his finger in England a few months prior. The Eden Gardens in Kolkata bore witness to something outrageously stunning.

He played on one of his favorite venues like a master and raised a fluent century. But again, why stop at just a 100 when you can double it?

Rohit Sharma pulverizing bowling attacks - an example of the amazing ability at his disposal (File Image)

Mind you, the signs were there as well! Just over a year since his first double hundred in Bengaluru, the Rohit-Kohli duo was involved in another mix-up that saw the Delhi batsman run out again.

In an eerie coincidence, Rohit went on to pulverise a hapless Lankan attack, in a way he had the Australian one. One shot in particular stood out - he played a wristy swat across the line off Nuwan Kulasekara to send it way over long on.

A daddy double-hundred is what the Mumbaikar piled up, with the bowlers having no clue as to how to stop the bloodbath. So much so that they were outscored by Rohit Sharma alone at the end of the match.

The modern-day batting great ended up blasting 264 off 173 deliveries. Till today, this remains the highest individual score across all white ball international matches.