Comparing Rohit Sharma And Imam-ul-Haq’s ODI Numbers Ahead Of Asia Cup 2023 – The Asia Cup 2023 will kick-start on August 30 in Multan. The 6-team continental tournament will be played across 4 venues in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in a hybrid model. The marquee clash between India and Pakistan is slated for September 2nd. Such is the format of the Asia Cup 2023, that India and Pakistan can potentially meet three times in the tournament, including the final.
Sri Lanka are the defending champions. India last won the Asia Cup in 2018, while Pakistan last won it in 2012.
India and Pakistan both will be aiming to lift the Asia Cup trophy, which would be a major boost to their aspirations of lifting the World Cup 2023 trophy a couple of months later.
Two players who are key for the chances of India and Pakistan are their openers Rohit Sharma and Imam-ul-Haq respectively. Both are stylish, both are elegant, and both are highly talented. Both the players have had great expectations since they were teenagers because of their precocious talents.
While Rohit Sharma took a few years to cement his place in the side – from 2007 to 2013 he remained in and out of the team before his career took a turn when he was given the opening spot – Imam-ul-Haq hit the right notes from the start of his ODI career in 2017.
Comparing ODI numbers of Rohit Sharma and Imam-ul-Haq:
First, the India captain and opener Rohit Sharma has terrific ODI numbers: in 244 matches, he has amassed 9837 runs at an average of 48 with 30 centuries and 48 fifties. The averages boosts up to 55 as an opener.
Coming to Imam-ul-Haq, the left-handed Pakistan opener has scored 2871 runs in 61 innings in ODIs at an impressive average of 52 with 9 centuries and 18 fifties.
Another crucial factor when comparing players are their records away from home. In away and neutral matches, Rohit Sharma averages 43, which is good, while Imam-ul-Haq averages 49 outside Pakistan. in ODIs.
Since the Asia Cup 2023 will be taking place in Sri Lanka – India won’t play in Pakistan and Pakistan will play all but two matches in Sri Lanka, including the final – we should also look at both the openers’ numbers in Sri Lanka to have an idea of what to expect from them in the tournament.
Rohit Sharma doesn’t have a good record in Sri Lanka: in 26 ODIs in Sri Lanka, Rohit averages an ordinary 25 with 2 centuries and 2 fifties. He had a horrific time facing Sri Lankan bowlers in Sri Lanka early in his career, which included 5 consecutive single-digit scores in the 2012 series. He however did well in 2017, hitting two hundreds.
Imam has played just two knocks in ODIs in Sri Lanka, and scored two fifties.
