India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, was the standout performer with the bat in the 2023 World Cup match against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday, October 11. The right-handed batsman achieved a century in just 63 balls, breaking a record that had stood for four decades, previously held by former captain Kapil Dev, who scored a hundred in 72 balls against Zimbabwe on June 18, 1983.
However, the title for the quickest century in the entire prestigious ICC event is owned by Aiden Markram, who accomplished this feat in 49 balls during the match against Sri Lanka on October 7.
Rohit Sharma achieved his seventh century in the ODI World Cup, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s remarkable record for the most centuries in this ICC event. Additionally, Sharma joined the exclusive club of Indian batsmen, which includes Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, who have scored over 1,000 runs in the 50-over tournament.
During the 17th over of India’s run-chase, bowled by Mohammad Nabi, Rohit hit a boundary and followed it up with a single, reaching his century. This achievement was particularly significant after his early dismissal for a duck in India’s opening World Cup game against Australia, which the Men in Blue won by six wickets.
A video shared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) shows Rohit acknowledging the applause for his record-breaking century, with his wife Ritika Sajdeh also seen giving a standing ovation and clapping with a broad smile on her face.
View the celebrations of Rohit Sharma and Ritika Sajdeh in the video below:
Rohit Sharma led India’s efforts to chase down Afghanistan’s score of 272/8 in 50 overs
Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai’s strong batting helped them reach 272/8 in 50 overs. Shahidi scored 80 runs off 88 balls with one six and eight boundaries, while Azmatullah Omarazai added 62 runs from 69 deliveries with four sixes and two fours.
Jasprit Bumrah was the standout bowler, taking 4 wickets for 39 runs, while Hardik Pandya claimed two wickets, and Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav took one each. In response, India was at 194/1 after 23.2 overs, with Rohit Sharma (129) and Virat Kohli (9) batting.
Ishan Kishan was out after scoring 47 runs, thanks to Rashid Khan. India, coming off a victory against Australia, is seeking back-to-back wins ahead of the India vs. Pakistan match on October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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