India opening batsman Rohit Sharma, on Friday, achieved multiple milestones during the second T20I between New Zealand and India at the Eden Park in Auckland.
Rohit became the highest run scorer in T20Is when he smacked Ish Sodhi for a maximum over backward square leg. As Rohit ticked past 2272 runs, he surpassed Martin Guptill for most runs in T20I cricket.
The 31-year-old was eventually dismissed for 52 which took his tally to 2288 runs from 92 matches at an average of 32.68 and strike rate of 138.41. In T20Is, he has four centuries and 16 fifties to his name.
Earlier, when ‘Hitman’ dispatched a delivery from Scott Kuggeleijn for a six in the fourth over of India’s chase, he completed his century of sixes. It took him to third in list of most sixes in T20Is just behind West Indies’ Chris Gayle and New Zealand’s Martin Guptill – both on 103 sixes.
Meanwhile, the Men in Blue bounced back brilliantly in the second T20I against the Blackcaps with a seven-wicket victory at the Eden Park. First, the bowlers played their part by restricting the hosts to a relatively low total of 158/8 and then batsmen knocked off the runs with 1.5 overs to spare. With the win, India have levelled the three-match series 1-1.
5 milestones achieved by Rohit Sharma in Auckland:
- Most T20I runs – 2288 (leaving behind Martin Guptill 2272)
- First Indian batsman to hit 100 sixes in T20Is
- Most sixes by an Indian in international cricket – 349 (leaving behind MS Dhoni – 348)
- Most fifties in T20Is – 20 (leaving behind Virat Kohli – 19)
- First Indian captain to win a T20I against the Blackcaps on New Zealand soil
