With two boundaries and a single against Sheldon Cottrell on Sunday at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, India's Rohit Sharma broke a 22-year-old world record in international cricket. He achieved the feat during the third and final ODI series against West Indies where India are aiming for their 10th straight bilateral series win against the visitors.
A whip down to the mid-wicket boundary, a punch down covers for a four and a single down to the third man with a soft edge, and Rohit managed the required nine runs for the world record. With his tally at 2388* runs across the three formats in 47 matches in 2019 as an opener, Rohit surpassed Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya's record tally of 2387 runs from 37 matches amassed in 1997. Earlier this week, en route to his 159 in the second ODI, Rohit had surpassed former cricketer Virender Sehwag (2355 runs from 33 games) to become the highest-scoring Indian opener in a calendar year.
Rohit's 2388* runs came at the average of 53.06 with 10 centuries (the most ever in a year) and nine half-centuries. 1435* runs were scored in 28 ODI matches in 2019 at 57.08 an average with seven centuries and five half-centuries. 556 runs were scored from the five Tests he played at home, at an average of 92.66 with three centuries. And the remaining 396 runs were scored in 14 T20Is he played this year, scoring at 28.28 with four fifties.
