Rohit Sharma becomes fastest cricketer to score 8000 ODI runs as opener during India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup Super 4 match

Image Source : AP Rohit Sharma vs Sri Lanka in Asia Cup match on Sep 12, 2023

Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma continued his red-hot form in ODIs by smashing his third consecutive fifty in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, September 12. Rohit scored 53 off 48 balls in the Super 4 match against Sri Lanka and completed 10,000 runs in ODIs. He also bagged another feather in his record cabinet by scoring 8,000 ODI runs as an opener and became the fastest cricketer to claim this feat.

Rohit scored brilliant fifties against Nepal and Pakistan and carried that momentum against Sri Lanka with another dominating knock. He and Shubman Gill gave India a flying start with an 80-run partnership for the opening wicket in just 67 balls.

Rohit, opening an innings for India for the 160th time, became the 10th cricketer to score 8,000 runs as an opener. He broke the former South African opener Hashim Amla's record for the fastest to 8,000 ODI runs comfortably by 15 innings. Before Rohit, the legendary cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were the only Indian batters with 8,000 runs as an opener in ODIs but the current captain is the fastest for this incredible feat. Rohit now has scored 8,001 runs in 162 ODI matches as an opener and is the only cricketer with a 50-plus batting average while completing 8,000 runs.

Rohit Sharma - 8,000 runs in 160 ODI innings
Hashim Amla - 8,000 runs in 173 ODI innings
Sachin Tendulkar - 8,000 runs in 179 ODI innings

Meanwhile, the Indian team lost Shubman Gill, Rohit and Virat Kohli in quick succession with young spinner Dunith Wellalage claiming all three wickets. But KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan pulled off an unbeaten 60-run stand for the fourth wicket to drag India past 150 runs in the 30th over.

India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj