Opener Rohit Sharma showcased his destructive form with an unbeaten century as India beat Australia by nine wickets in the third and final ODI on Saturday. (Image credit: Agencies) NEW DELHI: Opener Rohit Sharma showed his destructive form with an unbeaten century while Virat Kohli contributed a fighting 74* and pacer Harshit Rana took four crucial wickets as India beat Australia by nine wickets in the third and final ODI on Saturday. Despite the win, India lost the series 1–2.
Why Virat Kohli Will Be Bad News In India XI For World Cup 2027 | Greenstone Lobo predicts
Rana’s brilliant spell of 4/39 restricted Australia to 236 in 46.4 overs, setting the platform for India’s chase. Rohit then led the attack with a vintage 121* off 125 balls, making it a one-sided contest. He initially shared a 69-run partnership with Shubman Gill (24) before combining with Kohli for an unbeaten 168-run stand to guide India to the target in just 38.3 overs. Rohit’s innings was littered with 13 fours and three sixes, while Kohli’s unbeaten 74 off 81 balls included seven boundaries.This exchange also had historical significance. With three more sixes, Rohit will surpass former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi’s record of 351 sixes in ODIs. Rohit currently has 349 sixes in 276 matches, making him the second highest sixes in ODI history. Afridi, who played 398 ODIs between 1996 and 2015, tops the list with 351 sixes.Other notable sixes are Chris Gayle (331 sixes in 301 matches), Sanath Jayasuriya (270 in 445 matches) and MS Dhoni (229 in 350 matches). Rohit’s record also reflects his remarkable career: 11,370 runs in 268 innings with 33 centuries and 59 fifties at an average of 49.22 and a strike rate of 92.66. His highest score in ODIs is 264.
Here’s a look at all the ODI six-hitting leaders:
Player CountryMatchesSixesShahid AfridiPAK398351Rohit SharmaIND276349Chris GayleWI301331Sanath JayasuriyaSL445270MS DhoniIND350229
