Rohit Sharma eyes top spot on batting charts, set to overtake Shoaib Malik during T20I

Rohit Sharma needs 37 more runs to become the all-time leading run-scorer in T-20I cricket

Rohit Sharma has achieved many milestones in international cricket and now the ‘Hitman’ is all set to overtake Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik on the list of players with the most appearances in T20I cricket. Rohit is already the most-capped Indian player and if he plays all 3 matches against Sri Lanka, he will set a new world record, overtaking Malik’s tally of 124 matches.

Only 9 cricketers have played more than 100 matches in men’s T20Is and Rohit is the only Indian in the elite list. MS Dhoni (98) is second on the list of Indians with the most T20I caps while Virat Kohli is 3rd with 97 matches. The former captain, however, has been rested from the 3-match series against Sri Lanka which will be played in Lucknow and Dharamsala.

List of Most capped players in T20I cricket

1. Shoaib Malik (Pakistan) – 124

2. Rohit Sharma (India) – 122

3. Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan) – 119

4. Eoin Morgan (England) – 115

5. Mahmudullah (Bangladesh) – 113

Rohit Sharma even holds the record of most centuries in a single edition of the World Cup. Rohit Sharma scored 5 centuries in the World Cup held in 2019. He has scored the most number of runs in a single limited over match. He even has 3 double-centuries in T-50I.

Meanwhile, Rohit also has the opportunity to overtake Martin Guptill and become the leading run-scorer in T20I cricket. Rohit is currently at the 3rd spot behind Guptill (3299) and Virat Kohli (3296). The India captain, with 3263 runs, needs 37 more runs to become the all-time leading scorer in the shortest format of the game.

Meanwhile, Rohit also needs to score 63 runs in the first T20I if he is to break Pakistan star Babar Azam’s record for the fastest to 1000 runs as captain in T20Is. Rohit has 937 runs in 25 innings as captain at a staggering average of 40.73 and a strike rate of over 150.