Is Rohit Sharma one among the greatest ODI batsmen of all time?

The sport of cricket has a rich history and from one generation to another, cricket has produced great players who, with their pyrotechnics have lit up the world stage. However, the dynamics of the game keep changing and as such, a comparison of two players belonging to different eras becomes irrelevant.

However, in the league of some of the best batsmen in the modern era, India's opener Rohit Sharma stands tall. So much so that the great Sachin Tendulkar had once labeled Rohit as one for the future.

While Rohit had shown potential to be a great batsman in the coming years with his sizzling World Cup 2007 knock against South Africa, he rarely lived up to the expectations. Since his ODI debut in 2007 to the beginning of Champions Trophy in 2013, Rohit had scored a meager 1978 runs as a middle-order batsman at an average of 30.43.

However, Rohit had greater things in store for him, once he was pushed to open the batting.

During the 2013 Champions Trophy, Dhoni's idea to promote Rohit Sharma to the top of the order turned out to be a masterstroke. Rohit provided solid foundations along with Dhawan and India enjoyed huge success in the tournament.

On a fine November evening, Rohit essayed a career-defining inning, striking his way to a breathtaking 209 runs against a dangerous Australian bowling unit. He hit a record 16 sixes in that innings which sealed his spot at the top of the order.

Rohit Sharma

Fast forward a little more than five years down the line, the 32-year-old batsman is such an artist of the game that he makes batting look extremely easy. A fine hitter of the ball, Rohit has mixed his batting style with a unique blend of patience and aggression.

Here are some prime reasons why he is right up there amongst the greatest ODI batsmen of all time.

Runs in away conditions

The hallmark of a great batsman is the ability to score runs in all conditions. Among the Asian batsmen, who boast of a great away record, Rohit Sharma leads the chart with 14 centuries outside Asia.

He has five of them in Australia, and this speaks volumes of his outstanding technique against pace and bounce. Another sign of great batsmen is the little adjustment they do with the ball moving around.

There is so much for the swing bowlers, especially with the new ball in English conditions. Rohit Sharma is the only non-English batsmen to score 6 centuries in England, two ahead of the next best batsman, Shikhar Dhawan, who has four to his name.

Consistency

Rohit Sharma and AB de Villiers are the only batsmen in the history of ODI cricket to average over 50 for 7 consecutive years. In terms of the most runs scored since 2013, only Virat Kohli betters him, but he has also played 12 more innings than Rohit. On the back of Rohit and Kohli's form, India have enjoyed tremendous success.

Most runs since 2013

Performance in tournament knockouts, series deciders, and ICC events

Cometh the hour, cometh the champion is a common saying in sports terms. Rohit Sharma is indeed a player who shines in big occasions. Here is a look at some of the finest knocks the Hitman has played in the series deciders, tournament finals and ICC events.

The man of big occasions

Game Situation

The real test of a quality batsman is when the chips are down, and they have to take the team out of the disconcerting situation. Here are a few occasions out of the many, when Rohit Sharma took the challenge upon himself and guided his side home.

2008 CB series final: Australia had set India a target of 240 runs. Against a world-class Australian bowling attack, the chase was never going to be easy. With the fall of Yuvraj's wicket, India were struggling at 87 for 3 at the end of 19th over. Rohit Sharma then came in to form a match-winning partnership of 123 runs. India ultimately won a thrilling floodlit contest at the SGC.

2015 World Cup quarter-final: In pursuit of a semi-final berth, India were reduced to 115 for 3 at the end of 28 overs batting first. The onus was once again on Rohit Sharma to take his side to a defendable total. He rose to the occasion and hit one of the greatest World Cup innings of all time. He scored a mesmerizing 137 to take India to a big total of 307.

2017, India vs Sri Lanka: Small targets are tricky. India were chasing 219, but they were in a spot of bother at 61 for 4. Rohit Sharma again played a composed knock of 124 to take India home.

2019 World Cup, India vs SA: With the ball moving around, India faced early jolts and the chase of 228 got tougher. However, Rohit Sharma fought the challenge, got through the testing period of seam bowling to amass a 144-ball unbeaten 122 that took India to a six-wicket win.

Batting long and deep

Many times, batsmen become complacent after reaching the hundred-run landmark. However, Rohit Sharma elevates his game to the next level. He likes to set the tone of the innings as an opener, then consolidate in the middle and go berserk in the final overs. That is what makes him a complete package.

Rohit Sharma has almost developed a complete template that defines a great ODI batsman. He also is the only batsmen in the history of ODI cricket to score 150 or more on seven occasions. In fact, he has converted three of them to double hundreds which defines his temperament to convert his starts into a big knock.

He is a champion of the ODI format and has proven it time and again in his own unique way.

In the ongoing World Cup, he already has four centuries, which in itself is a record of most centuries in a single edition. It is quite evident as to why he will go down as one of the greatest batsmen of all time.