New Delhi:
Rohit Sharma has created plenty of records in the Twenty20 International format. He is in a close tussle with Virat Kohli for the most runs in the format while he is the ultimate six-hitting machine in Twenty20 Internationals, smashing 109. Rohit also holds the record for the most centuries hit in Twenty20 Internationals with four. However, during the third game between India and South Africa at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, Rohit created yet another record and this time he leveled the feat of former India skipper MS Dhoni as he strode out to the middle.
Rohit was playing in his 98th Twenty20 International and he leveled Dhoni's record of most matches played in the format for India. Dhoni had held the previous record for India, having played 98 games from 2006 to 2019 while Rohit started playing in the shortest format of the game in 2007 during the World T20 in South Africa.
Overall, Rohit is tied third in the list of players who have played the most games in Twenty20 Internationals. Shoaib Malik of Pakistan has played the most matches in Twenty20 Internationals with 111 while former all-rounder Shahid Afridi played 99 games, 98 with Pakistan and one for the ICC World XI in 2018.
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Rohit endured a poor series against South Africa by managing scores of 12 and 9 in the two matches that could be played in the three-match series after the first game in Dharamshala was washed out without a ball being bowled. In the second match at Mohali, Rohit smashed two sixes off Dwaine Pretorius before falling LBW to Andile Phehlukwayo. In the third game, Rohit smashed two boundaries off Kagiso Rabada before being trapped LBW by Beuran Hendricks.
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With many Twenty20 Internationals still left to be played in the build-up to the World T20 in Australia next year, Rohit and Dhoni could enter the century club and also surpass the record set by Malik. India's next Twenty20 International assignment will be against Bangladesh in November. The three-match Twenty20 International series between India and South Africa ended in a 1-1 draw after Quinton de Kock's magnificent, unbeaten 79 gave South Africa a crushing nine-wicket win. In the previous match, Virat Kohli's brilliant fifty gave India a rousing seven-wicket win.
