Scripting history Rohit Sharma becomes only the second Indian opener to…

NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma on Saturday added another remarkable chapter to his glittering career, becoming only the second Indian opener after Virender Sehwag to score 16,000 international runs across formats.The milestone came during the first ODI against Afghanistan in Dharamsala, when the veteran batsman needed just six runs to join the exclusive club. Rohit reached the milestone in his 384th innings for India, amassing 15,994 runs as an opener before the start of play.This achievement ranks the former Indian captain among the greatest openers in the history of cricket. Overall, Rohit became only the seventh batsman to cross the 16,000-run mark in international cricket.Join an elite group of budding greatsRohit now stands alongside legendary names like Sanath Jayasuriya, Chris Gayle, David Warner, Graeme Smith, Desmond Haynes and Sehwag. Sri Lankan great Jayasuriya tops the list with 19,298 runs, followed by Gayle (18,867) and Warner (18,744).Sehwag remains India’s most prolific run-getter with 16,119 runs in 400 innings in 332 matches. Rohit’s milestone is all the more remarkable as batting icon Sachin Tendulkar, despite scoring over 34,000 international runs overall, amassed 15,335 runs as an opener, narrowly missing out on the 16,000-run club.Before the Afghanistan ODI, Rohit had scored 11,577 runs in 282 ODIs, 4,301 runs in 67 Tests and 4,231 runs in 159 T20Is, the latter two formats of which he has since retired.Another milestone falls in DharamsalaThe day brought yet another remarkable achievement for the former Indian captain. When Rohit scored three runs in the innings, he surpassed South African legend Jacques Kallis’ ODI tally of 11,579 runs.Kallis amassed his runs in 328 ODIs between 1996 and 2014, while Rohit got ahead of him in his 283rd One Day International. Rohit is now 8th in the all-time list led by Tendulkar with 18,246 runs.Having already established himself as one of the most devastating white-ball batsmen of his generation, Rohit’s latest feat further cemented his place among the game’s all-time greats.Even after retiring from Tests and T20Is, the 39-year-old continues to scale new heights, with his consistency and longevity ensuring that records continue to tumble in Indian colours.