New Delhi:
Rohit Sharma is having a record-breaking run in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. During his century against Sri Lanka in Leeds, Rohit created some new world records as India sealed the top spot in the tournament with a seven-wicket win against the 1996 champions. Rohit’s 103 was his fifth in this single edition of the World Cup. His fifth ton was a new world record and it broke the previous record held by Kumar Sangakkara in which he blasted four consecutive centuries. Rohit’s century took him past Shakib Al Hasan for most runs in the 2019 edition of the tournament and it also put him closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s overall tally of runs, which is 673 in the 2003 edition in South Africa.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, Rohit has credited Yuvraj Singh’s advice and said his suggestions put him in a great space for the tournament. “I was not getting big runs before the tournament. Yuvraj Singh is like my big brother and he told me that I will get runs when it matters. Probably, he was talking about the World Cup. In IPL, we were having a good chat about the game. He was in a similar phase in 2011 before the World Cup. He was not getting enough runs. What he told me was to be in a good space. That is what he did and that is why he was so successful at that World Cup,” Rohit said.
Yuvraj, who recently announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket recently, produced a magnificent performance with both bat and ball in the 2011 edition and he emerged as the Man of the Series as India won the World Cup after 28 years.
Rohit’s knock has gotten him closer to breaking Tendulkar’s tally of overall runs in the World Cup and it has also given him a chance to break the Master Blaster’s tally of tons in the tournament as well as equal Sangakkara’s feat of four consecutive tons, having already hit three on the trot against England, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However, Rohit is not looking at records and states every day is a new day.
“What has happened has happened, every day is a new day in cricket. I want to start every day as a fresh day. I come out thinking I have not played any ODIs or scored any hundreds in the tournament. That is the mindset I want to get in and I keep telling myself that,” Rohit said.
India will take on New Zealand in the first semi-final in Manchester on June 9 and they will be aiming to get the better of the Kiwis after their first league game was washed out due to rain in Trent Bridge on July 13.
