Indian cricket’s iconic opener and captain, Rohit Sharma, recently etched his name in cricketing history by breaking Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in international cricket. In an awe-inspiring display of power-hitting, Rohit blazed his way to a record-breaking 81-ball 131 against Afghanistan at the Ferozshah Kotla, where he dispatched five towering sixes. This record, achieved in a mere 453 matches, made Rohit’s journey to this milestone even more remarkable, considering he played 30 fewer games than Gayle.
Rohit Sharma, often dubbed the “Hitman,” acknowledged that his inspiration for relentless six-hitting came from none other than the “Universe Boss” himself, Chris Gayle. The camaraderie between the two is symbolized by their shared jersey number, No. 45. In a video posted by the BCCI, Rohit expressed his satisfaction in breaking Gayle’s record, a feat even he hadn’t foreseen when he started his cricketing journey.
“Universe Boss is Universe Boss. I have taken a leaf out of his book. Over the years, we have seen him such a six-hitting machine he is wherever he plays. We wear the same jersey (No. 45). I am sure he is happy about it because jersey No. 45 has done it (breaking his record),” said Rohit in a video posted by the BCCI.
He epitomizes the spirit of continuous improvement and the pursuit of excellence. Rohit’s focus remains unwavering, driven by the desire to enhance his cricketing abilities further. Breaking records is a part of his journey, not the destination.
“When I started playing this game, I never thought I would be able to hit sixes, let alone that many sixes. A lot of work has been put into it over the years. So, I am quite happy with the work that I have done. “I am the sort of person who is not satisfied (with what he has been doing), and I want to continue what I am doing. My focus is on that. Yeah, it is a small happy moment for me,” said the right-handed opener.
During the match against Afghanistan, Rohit acknowledged the tremendous effort of his bowling unit. The team’s ability to restrict Afghanistan to a below-par total on a batting-friendly surface is commendable. The skipper’s praise for the bowlers emphasizes the collaborative nature of cricket, where the efforts of both batsmen and bowlers contribute to the team’s success.
“For us, the focus is on those small things, which is to look into the opposition we play. Today was Afghanistan, and to play well here… we understood the conditions and played well. “I thought we played a brilliant game. The bowlers did an exceptional job restricting Afghanistan to below 280 because the wicket was perfect to bat on,” Rohit said.
“It is a very different format that we play now, the World Cup – 9 league games and then the semifinals and final. For us, what was important was to look at every game that came our way and not to look too far ahead,” he added.
