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A look at India’s most featured player at the T20 World Cup - Rohit Sharma

By Mumbai Indians

From scoring a vital 30* (16) in the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup, which was essential in bagging that big trophy, to now featuring in the seventh edition of the tournament, Rohit Sharma has come a long way.

In that game back in 2007, we saw only glimpses of what Rohit would go on to achieve over the years. He came in at number 6, added those runs that would help India eke out a five-run win and lift the T20 World Cup trophy. Today, 14 years later, he’s the only Indian to be a part of all T20 World Cup editions so far.

Over the years, Rohit has stacked up numbers against various opponents, and has some clear favourites too. He is also 6th in the overall run scorers chart and will look to scale up that list in the upcoming edition.

A look at the overall numbers

The Indian opener has 673 runs to his name across all the editions of the T20 World Cup. He has played 25 innings, and has amassed these runs at a strike rate of 127.22. Rohit has six half centuries in the T20 World Cup too.

The numbers also reveal how much he loves dealing in boundaries. So far, he has 59 fours, but he does love taking the aerial route. He has 24 sixes, and 9 more will equal him with Yuvraj Singh’s tally, and will take him on top of the table for most sixes in this tournament by an Indian.

He averages around 40, a virtue that will help India get some good starts. Like Virat Kohli said ahead of the tournament, “Rohit is a no-brainer” with respect to opening the innings, and his good average and current form, where he scored a half-century in the practice game against Australia, are only testimony to that statement.

Rohit vs SENA countries at the T20 World Cup

302 runs out of the whole lot have come against SENA countries - South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia - in the T20 World Cup for Rohit. He has a particular liking for South Africa too, scoring 128 runs at an average of 42.66 with a 50* to his name as well.

Australia is next on the list, with him scoring 105 runs at a good strike rate of 143.83. His highest score in T20 World Cup also came against this country - a 79* in 2010, albeit in a losing cause.

Rohit’s best strike rate is against England at a healthy number of 156.09. He has a 55* to his name too, this time in 2012, where India won the match by 90 runs. Rohit has played only 1 innings against New Zealand, and could add only five more runs to his SENA tally there.

Through Rohit’s years at the T20 World Cup, one thing that has been evident is his rise. This year, when India will begin its campaign in the T20 World Cup, he will be one of the senior most men in the group to don the Indian jersey.

We hope to see more runs being stacked up, more of those sixes to cheer for and more records to be made and broken by this celebrated Indian opener in the coming month. Here’s sending him and all the Men in Blue good wishes ahead of the big event!