Rohit Sharma (PC- BCCI)
Rohit Sharma (PC- BCCI)

Since he began opening in ODI cricket, Irfan Pathan has praised Rohit Sharma for being one of India’s batting mainstays.

As the Men in Blue set a massive 386-run mark for New Zealand in the third ODI on Tuesday, January 24, in Indore, Rohit hammered 101 runs off 85 deliveries. Then, their bowlers dismissed the guests for 295 to seal a commanding 90-run victory in the dead rubber.

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Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma (PC- BCCI)

I Had Full Faith In Rohit Sharma: Irfan Pathan

Pathan was asked what he felt about Rohit Sharma breaking his century drought during a conversation on Star Sports, to which he replied:

“He has taken full command of the Indian batting since he started opening, either through a good average or with the approach he has changed in the last one to one-and-a-half years – with a good strike rate. So he is continuously contributing. A century has come after three years and 10,000 runs will also come.”

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The former Indian all-rounder emphasised that he had never wavered in his belief that the opener will soon get a century, saying:

“I am saying this from the first day when I was asked whether Rohit Sharma should play big knocks. I had full faith that it will come one day or the other because he was looking very good when he was batting.”

Rohit Sharma (PC- BCCI)
Rohit Sharma (PC- BCCI)

In January 2020, Rohit last hit an ODI century against Australia in Bengaluru. The Indian captain fell short of the three-figure barrier despite scoring five half-centuries during that time.

Pathan went on to say that although Rohit hadn’t made a century in the previous three years, he always appeared to be at the top of his game. He explained:

“He was hitting shots on the up, playing the square cuts and pulls, and was looking extremely confident. When a batter is in form, the big knock definitely comes, you just have to wait for a little while. It might have taken three years but he is a great player.”

Irfan Pathan Emphasizes On Rohit Sharma’s Strong Global Track

The former cricketer turned broadcaster also emphasised the Mumbai batter’s strong global track record, saying:

“He has equaled Ricky Ponting’s 30 ODI centuries. Even in his (Ponting’s) country, he (Rohit) has an average of around 53, which is a huge number, and has scored five hundreds also there. He has an average of 64 in England as well. So he has scored runs everywhere and we have seen him scoring runs in India regularly in any case.”

Rohit Sharma (PC- BCCI)
Rohit Sharma (PC- BCCI)

In 241 ODIs, Rohit has accumulated 9782 runs at a fantastic average of 48.91. His performance as an opener is even greater, with 7764 runs scored at an average of 56.26 in 156 innings.

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Virat Kohli | Rohit Sharma | Rishabh Pant | KL Rahul | Suryakumar Yadav | Sanju Samson | Shreyas Iyer | Yuzvendra Chahal | Jasprit Bumrah