Rohit Sharma joins Virat Kohli in a unique club of Indian batsmen

Rohit Sharma became the second Indian after Virat Kohli to join the 9,000-run club in the Twenty 20 format. Opening the batting against England in the fourth T20I in Ahmedabad, Rohit Sharma opened his account with a six. He struck a boundary on the third ball and then got a single to reach the milestone.

Starting his T20 career with Mumbai in the first-ever T20 inter-state tournament in 2007, Rohit Sharma became the first Indian to slam a century in the format. Later that year, as a 20-year-old, he played a critical role in India’s inaugural T20 World Cup triumph in South Africa. Over the years, he has evolved as a vital cog to India’s limited-overs fortunes.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) played a significant role in Rohit Sharma's development. Having made an initial impact for Deccan Chargers Hyderabad in the first three seasons of the IPL, winning the tournament in 2009, he made it big for the Mumbai Indians, leading them to 5 IPL titles..

With four centuries, Rohit Sharma also tops the charts for most hundreds in T20Is. He is also third on the list for most runs in T20Is with 2,800, behind only Virat Kohli (3,079 runs) and Martin Guptill (2,839 runs).

On Thursday, the Indian vice-captain became the ninth batsman to cross the 9,000-run mark in T20s.

Most runs in T20s

Rohit Sharma is the only second Indian to 9,000 T20 runs.

In third spot amongst Indians, there’s Suresh Raina with 8,494 runs. No other Indian batter has even scored 7,000 runs in the format.

Rohit Sharma fails to make start count

Despite starting with a six and a four, Rohit Sharma couldn’t make the start count and fell to Jofra Archer, caught and bowled in the fourth over for a 12-ball 12. Once again, India failed to capitalize on the powerplay.

Rohit Sharma becomes the first player to hit 50 sixes in India in T20Is. #INDvENG

— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) March 18, 2021

Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians and Mumbai teammate Suryakumar Yadav replaced him at the crease for his maiden international innings.

Trailing 2-1 in the series, the fourth T20I is a must-win for Virat Kohli’s India in order to stay alive in the 5-T20I series.