India’s biggest six-hitter! Rohit Sharma completes 500 int’l sixes during valiant knock vs Bangladesh

India went down to Bangladesh in the second and penultimate ODI on Wednesday, (December 07), to lose the series 2-0 with one game to go. After losing the series opener by a wicket, many expected Rohit Sharma & Co. to level the series at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Dhaka. Nothing of that sort happened as the Men in Blue lost by five runs in pursuit of a challenge 272. Being asked to bowl first, India had reduced the Bangla Tigers to 69-6 before Mahmudullah’s 77 and Mehedi Hasan’s 100 not out propelled Bangladesh to 271/7 as India, in return, only managed 266 for 9.

While India lost the plot during Mahmudullah-Mehedi’s rocksolid 148-run seventh-wicket stand, they were kept alive in the run-chase courtesy of Shreyas Iyer (82) and Axar Patel (56)’s 107-run fifth-wicket partnership after being reduced to 65/4 at one stage. After the duo’s departure, an unfit Rohit Sharma walked out to bat at No. 9. The Indian captain had injured his webbling while fielding at the slips in the second over of the contest and left the field. After suffering a dislocation on his thumb and some stitches, Hitman came out to bat for India with 65 needed off 44 balls, with only three wickets in hand.

Rohit started off slowly but accelerated and hit some amazing sixes (five overall) to smash a 28-ball 51 not out but couldn’t take India past the finish line. Despite bringing down the equation to 6 off the last ball, Mustafizur Rahman’s well-executed yorker prevented Rohit after going big. The 35-year-old’s gutsy knock has been hailed by many given how unfit he was to bat. During his knock, Rohit completed 500 international sixes — most by an Indian — to join Chris Gayle in an elite list. 

Most sixes in Intl Cricket

553- Chris Gayle

502 – Rohit Sharma*

476 – Shahid Afridi

398 – Brendon McCullum

Thus, Gayle and Rohit are the only two batters with 500-plus sixes in the international level. 

At the post-match presentation, Rohit said, “It (thumb injury) isn’t too great. Some dislocation and some stitches. Fortunately, not a fracture and so, I was able to bat. When you lose a game, there are positives and negatives. From being 69/6, allowing them to get to 270-odd wasn’t a great effect from our bowlers. We started well but the middle overs and the back end is what’s hurting us a lot. Happened in the last game as well. It’s something we need to work on. Not taking anything away from Mehidy and Mahmudullah, was a great partnership but we also need to find ways of breaking such partnerships. In One-Day cricket, it’s about partnerships and when you get those, you have to ensure that they are converted to match-winning partnerships. That’s what they did. If you get those 70-run stands, you need to convert them into 110-120 run partnerships for the team to win games, as it isn’t easy for the new batter. Need to be braver in the middle.”

Rohit is ruled out of the ODI series and doubts remain over his participation in the two-match Test series versus the Bangla Tigers, which commences on December 14.