Rohit Sharma one of the greatest ODI openers of all time, claims Kris Srikkanth

06/30/2020

Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has rated Rohit Sharma, who made his India debut in 2007, as one of the greatest ODI openers in world cricket. The Indian limited-overs vice-captain, who scored 29 ODI centuries, had scored the highest ODI score of 264 (off 173 balls) against Sri Lanka in 2014.

Rohit Sharma, after an impactful performance in the 2006 U-19 World Cup, made his India debut in 2007. However, the current limited-overs vice-captain opened for India first in 2011 and became a regular opening batsman only in 2013, and found a great partner in Shikhar Dhawan.

Out of 224 ODIs in his career, Sharma has batted in the opening position 138 times and accumulated 7148 runs at an average of 58.11. Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth has now rated Rohit as one of the greatest ever ODI openers, considering his ability to score daddy hundreds.

Out of his 29 ODI centuries, Rohit has scored 27 as an opener and 11 times the Mumbaikar has scored in excess of 140, including three double hundreds. Srikkanth believes that Rohit will be in the top-3 or top-5 in the list of all-time greatest openers.

"I would rate him as one of the greatest all-time one-day openers in world cricket. What's the greatest quality in Rohit Sharma is that he goes for these big hundreds and double hundreds, that is something amazing," Srikkanth said on Star Sports show 'Cricket Connected'.

"In a one-day match, you will go 150, 180, 200, just imagine where you are going to take the team to, that's the greatness about Rohit.”