India’s batting superstar and captain Rohit Sharma unleashed the beast inside him and smashed a record-breaking knock of 131 runs off just 84 balls against Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday, October 11.
Rohit Sharma Played A Record-Breaking Knock
Riding on his whirlwind knock, the Indian cricket team defeated Afghanistan by 8 wickets and registered their second win of the ongoing World Cup 2023.
Coming out to open the innings for India, Rohit Sharma completed his hundred off 63 balls, fetching him the record for the fastest century ever by an Indian in the history of World Cup. Earlier the record belonged to Kapil Dev – off 72 balls against Zimbabwe in 1983 – but – Rohit broke a four-decade long record by the former Indian captain. Not just this, Rohit’s powerful knock also saw him went pass the legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar for the most hundreds – seven – in World Cup history. Tendulkar played five World Cups from 1992 to 2011 and smashed six centuries.
Rohit showcased a batting masterclass in the game and absolutely thrashed Afghanistan’s bowling unit. Rohit played a sensational knock of 131 runs off just 84 balls. His knock was laced with 16 fours and 5 sixes.
Rohit dedicated his knock to Ritika
Meanwhile, the crowd present at the Arun Jaitley Stadium went berserk as Rohit brought up his century against the Afghans. The love of his life, Ritika Sajdeh, was also present at the stadium, who was seen celebrating his century.
Rohit Sharma also dedicated his knock to Ritika by kissing his finger. For the unversed, Ritika Sajdeh has been a constant support for Sharma in the stands whenever he plays for the Indian cricket team and Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Moreover, she keeps her fingers crossed until her husband is in the middle and keeps appreciating him and the other players during the game.
The video of the same has been going viral on the internet, watch it here:
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Here’s what Rohit Sharma said after winning the Player of the Match award:
Rohit won the player of the match award for his scintillating knock against Afghanistan. During the post-match conference, Rohit expressed his thoughts about his knock and said how he doesn’t want to lose his focus because of counting personal milestones. He said:
“It was a good pitch to bat on, just backed myself to play my natural game. I knew once I got my eye in, the wicket was going to get easier for me. Something that I have been working on from a long time. It’s a special feeling to get a World Cup hundred. Really happy with that. Don’t want to think too much (scoring 7 hundreds in just three World Cups), I don’t want to lose my focus. You need to make such things count. You gotta make it big. Some of it (the shots he plays) is premeditated. I let my instincts take over at times, sometimes it really works well. It’s my job to make sure to get those starts especially in run chases. That’s something I have done in the past and something I love doing. Sometimes it (attacking the bowlers) works, sometimes it doesn’t. Just need to keep doing it and keep putting oppositions under pressure going forward.”
