Faster than Tendulkar, Ponting and Sangakkara: Rohit Sharma reaches 12,000 ODI runs

Rohit Sharma added another milestone to his illustrious ODI career during the second match against West Indies in Guwahati on Wednesday, becoming the seventh batsman to score 12,000 runs in Men’s One Day Internationals.The Indian opener reached the landmark as India chased down a daunting target of 406 runs. He got there with one off Roston Chase in the 16th over, becoming only the third Indian after Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli to enter the 12,000-run club.Rohit has joined an elite list that includes Tendulkar, Kohli, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardena.In terms of innings, Rohit is the second fastest batsman to reach 12,000 ODI runs. Kohli reached the mark in 242 innings, followed by Rohit in 282 and Tendulkar in 300. Ponting took 314 innings while Sangakkara reached the milestone in 336.Rohit is also the second fastest on the mark in terms of balls faced. He reached 12,000 runs after facing 12,973 balls, behind Kohli’s 12,853.Since his ODI debut in 2007, Rohit has scored over 12,000 runs in 290 matches, with 35 centuries and 62 half-centuries.His ODI career includes an unbeaten 264 against Sri Lanka in Kolkata in 2014, which remains the highest individual score in men’s ODI cricket. He is also the only batsman to score three double centuries in the format.Earlier, centuries from John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo helped West Indies post their first 400-plus total in the 50-over format. They got 405 for seven after being sent in to bat.Campbell gave the West Indies a flying start, reaching his century in 65 balls as the Indian attack struggled to contain the West Indies batting.Campbell, a self-confessed admirer of Chris Gayle, channeled the inner boss of the universe perfectly, pulling down the Indian attack with brute force and freedom in his 68-ball 101, with nine fours and five sixes.Hope and Jangoo then kept the score around eight runs in the middle and late stages of the innings.Hope played the role of both anchor and aggressor, building his innings before raising the scoring rate after being reprieved in the 27th over when Virat Kohli dropped him to short midwicket, the ball breaking through his hands.The West Indies captain went on to score 104 off 94 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes as he kept the pressure on India and prevented them from making a comeback.Jangoo provided further impetus alongside Hope, combining a controlled hitting game with attacking strikes. He reached his second ODI century in 69 balls and finished with 114 off 83 balls, including 13 fours and three sixes.It was the first time West Indies had three centurions in the same ODI innings. Their total of 405 for seven also surpassed their previous highest ODI score of 389 against England in 2019.