Rohit Sharma Biography – The Record-Breaking Opener Who Changed ODI Cricket

Rohit Sharma Biography: India, unbeaten in 10 matches, lost the ODI World Cup final to Australia by 6 wickets.

He stood at the boundary rope as confetti fell for the wrong team.

The one trophy that defined his captaincy era the 50-over World Cup had slipped away.

Less than seven months later, he was lifting the T20 World Cup trophy in Barbados.

The man completing that full circle was Rohit Sharma, solving the mystery in the most dramatic way possible , from a middle-order finisher at the inaugural ICC World T20 to champion captain in 2024.

He announced his T20I retirement on the spot and walked off a winner. Now, his one final mission remains: the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Three ODI double centuries. Five World Cup centuries in a single edition. Four T20I centuries.

A Test debut century, and another in the very next match. His importance to Indian cricket is immeasurable and his story is still being written.

Field Details

Early Life and Background: A Boy from Nagpur

Rohit Sharma was born on 30 April 1987 in Bansod, Nagpur, Maharashtra, into a Marathi-Telugu family.

His mother is from Visakhapatnam, which is why he grew up speaking Marathi, Hindi, Telugu, and English.

His father worked as a caretaker in a transport company, and the family faced financial struggles.

To reduce expenses, young Rohit lived with his grandparents and uncle in Borivali, Mumbai, during weekdays and met his parents on weekends.

He studied at Swami Vivekanand International School in Mumbai, where his coach Dinesh Lad changed his life.

Initially an off-spinner who could bat, Rohit was promoted to open the innings. Lad even coached him for free.

Rohit scored a century in his first match as an opener in school cricket the beginning of the journey that would later make him the “Hitman.”

Domestic Cricket: Building the Foundation

Rohit made his List A debut in 2005 and soon impressed with a brilliant 142* in the Deodhar Trophy. His elegant stroke play caught the attention of selectors.

In 2006–07, he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai and was part of the championship-winning squad. Mumbai cricket became his backbone shaping his temperament and technique.

But the real breakthrough came gradually. Rohit was clearly gifted, but consistency was still missing. That inconsistency would follow him into international cricket.

International Career

ODI Career: From Doubt to Dominance

Rohit made his ODI debut in 2007 against Ireland but did not get to bat. Early in his career, he played in the middle order and struggled to convert starts into big scores.

The biggest setback came in 2011 when he was left out of India’s World Cup squad. It was a painful moment.

The turning point came in 2013 when captain MS Dhoni promoted him to open the batting during the ICC Champions Trophy. The decision transformed his career.

As an opener, Rohit found freedom. Time. Control.

Then came the records:

• 209 vs Australia (2013)
• 264 vs Sri Lanka (2014)
• 208 vs Sri Lanka (2017)*
  He became the only cricketer in history to score three ODI double centuries.
  During the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, Rohit reached another level. He scored five centuries in a single World Cup edition, finishing as the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 648 runs. No one had ever done that before.
  His ODI numbers reflect his dominance:
• 9,000+ runs
• 29+ centuries
• Average close to 49
  Few openers in cricket history have matched that impact.

Test Career: The Late Bloomer

For years, Rohit was considered a white-ball specialist. His Test technique was questioned. His temperament was doubted.
But when he finally made his Test debut in November 2013, he silenced critics instantly with 177 against West Indies at Eden Gardens. He followed it with another century in the next match.
Still, inconsistency returned and he was dropped again.
In 2019, he was promoted as a Test opener. This decision revived his red-ball career. In his first Test as an opener, he scored 176 against South Africa, followed by a magnificent 212 in Ranchi.
He later scored important overseas runs, including a century in England in 2021 proving he could succeed in challenging conditions.
By the end of his Test journey, Rohit had over 3,000 runs, multiple centuries, and had led India in the longest format as captain.

T20 International Career: Fearless and Explosive

Rohit was part of India’s squad that won the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007. As a young player, he played crucial cameos in that historic campaign.
Over time, he became one of the most destructive T20 openers in the world.
Some of his T20 achievements include:

• Four T20 International centuries (a record for years)
• Joint-fastest T20I hundred (35 balls vs Sri Lanka)
• First cricketer to hit 600 international sixes (2024 milestone)
  In 2024, he led India to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup finishing the tournament unbeaten as captain. Shortly after lifting the trophy, he announced his retirement from T20 Internationals.

IPL Career: Five Stars and a Dynasty Built in Blue

Rohit’s IPL career began with the Deccan Chargers, where he was part of their title-winning squad. In 2011, Mumbai Indians signed him for just ₹20 lakh — arguably the greatest bargain in IPL history. As captain, he led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020 — the most by any captain in league history. His calm, instinctive leadership transformed MI into a dynasty. In over 200 IPL matches, he has scored more than 5,000 runs at a strike rate of 130+.

Captaincy Era: The Composed Leader

He was named India’s full-time white-ball captain in December 2021 and Test captain shortly after, Rohit brought a calm, instinctive leadership style that players immediately responded to. He backed his players publicly, made bold calls under pressure, and created a dressing room where fear of failure didn’t dominate.
His record is historic the world record for the longest ICC white-ball winning streak as captain (13 matches), and the only captain to reach the finals of all four major ICC events: World Test Championship (2023), ODI World Cup (2023), T20 World Cup (2024), and Champions Trophy (2025). He won two of those four.
The ODI captaincy transitioned to Shubman Gill in 2025, but Rohit’s blueprint for calm, decisive Indian leadership will outlast his tenure.

Controversies and Challenges

Rohit’s career has had its share of storms. His removal as Mumbai Indians captain before IPL 2024, replaced by Hardik Pandya, drew fierce backlash from fans who booed Pandya at the Wankhede.
His ODI captaincy transition to Shubman Gill in late 2025 sparked debate about whether it was voluntary or an effective sacking.
Years of media speculation about a rift with Virat Kohli have been largely put to rest, with reports from late 2025 suggesting the pair have warmed significantly. After India’s 0–3 Test whitewash by New Zealand at home and a 1–3 loss in Australia in late 2024, Rohit also faced questions about his relationship with head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Unknown Facts About Rohit Sharma

• SRSCT Foundation (2023): Founded the Shri Rohit Sharma Charitable Trust to support large-scale social change, including upgrading 20,000+ government schools across India.
• Rhino Protection: Traveled to Kenya to meet Sudan, the last male Northern White Rhino, to promote anti-poaching awareness.
• “Shana” Nickname: Called “Shana” (clever in Marathi) inside the team a nickname popularized by Yuvraj Singh.
• “Sleeping Beauty”: According to Virat Kohli, Rohit can sleep anywhere, anytime and once allegedly missed the team bus because no one could wake him up.
• Forgetful Nature: He is famously forgetful and has often left behind his passport, iPad, wallet and once even forgot his wedding ring in a hotel room.
• IPL Hat-Trick: Took an IPL hat-trick in 2009 for Deccan Chargers against Mumbai Indians, the team he later led to five titles
• Jersey Number 45: His mother chose jersey number 45 during his Under-19 days it became his lucky identity.

Records and Achievements: The Numbers Behind the Legend

International Career Statistics – Rohit Sharma
Format Matches Runs Average Strike Rate 100s 50s High Score
ODI 227 9,205 48.96 88.9 29 43 264
Test 43 3,047 46.88 57.0 9 14 212
T20I 159 4,231 32.05 140.9 4 32 118

National Honours
Award Year Significance
Padma Shri 2026 India’s fourth-highest civilian honour
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna 2020 India’s highest sports honour
Arjuna Award 2015 Awarded for outstanding achievement in cricket

Cricket Awards & Key Records

Dilip Sardesai Award (2012–13) – Best Indian Cricketer
BCCI Special Award (2014) – For ODI world record score of 264
ICC ODI Team of the Year – 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
CEAT Indian Cricketer of the Year (2016)
ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year (2019)
ICC ODI Golden Bat (2019) – Most runs in World Cup (648 runs)
Indian Sports Honours – Sportsman of the Year (2019)
ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade (Nominated, 2020)

Key Individual Records

Highest individual ODI score – 264 vs Sri Lanka (2014)
Only player with 3 ODI double centuries (209, 264, 208*)
Only player with 5 centuries in a single World Cup (2019)
Most hundreds in a single World Cup overall – 6 (joint record)
First player to hit 600 international sixes (June 2024)
Most boundary runs in an ODI innings – 186 runs (264 innings)
First captain to win a T20 World Cup unbeaten (2024)
Only captain to reach finals of all 4 ICC events
Longest ICC white-ball winning streak as captain – 13 matches

Recent Career Status (2024–2026)

Rohit Sharma retired from T20 Internationals on 29 June 2024 after leading India to victory in the T20 World Cup in Barbados a perfect farewell. He later retired from Test cricket on 7 May 2025 following a home series against New Zealand.
He currently remains active in ODI cricket, playing as a senior opener under the captaincy of Shubman Gill. He also serves as the Tournament Ambassador for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, scheduled in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, is expected to be Rohit’s final major tournament. He has openly expressed his desire to win the 50-over World Cup.
As of early 2026:

• 11,577 ODI runs (needs around 1,400 more to enter the all-time top five)
• 33 ODI centuries (17 short of Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49)
  If he features in 2027, India will have one of its most experienced openers aiming to turn past heartbreak into history.

Rohit Sharma redefined white-ball opening batting, set historic records, and led India to major ICC titles after a long drought. With one final World Cup goal ahead, the Hitman’s story may still have one last memorable chapter.

Also Read: Palki Sharma Upadhyay Biography: She Didn’t Just Deliver Headlines, She Redefined Global Narratives

Written By- Namita Deora