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Top Five Best Innings of Rohit Sharma in IPL

Rohit Sharma is one of the best players in international cricket and the Indian Premier League. The batter from Mumbai was signed up by the now defunct Deccan Chargers in 2008, when the IPL was started. He was bought for a huge sum of US$750,000 a year. In the 2011 auctions, Sharma was sold to the Mumbai Indians for US$2 million, and has been with the team since. So which are the best innings of Rohit Sharma in IPL?

He is one of the most successful players in the league and the most successful captain. As the skipper of Mumbai Indians since 2013, Sharma has led the team to five titles, the most by any team in the tournament. He also led them to the Champions League trophy in 2013.

His captaincy was put to test in the 2015 edition after the team won just one of their first six games and were, at one point of time, in no hopes to make it to the playoffs. However, the Ambani-owned outfit staged a remarkable turnaround, winning all their remaining games and then going on to win the trophy for the second time. Rohit, who made a half-century, was named the Player of the Match in the final.

As of 2021, he is one of the six players who have scored beyond 5,000 runs in the IPL. Sharma has 5,480 runs with one century and 40 half centuries and is the fourth-highest run scorer after Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina. He has hit 224 sixes and 476 fours and has a strike rate of 130.50. His only century in the tournament so far came against the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012, when he scored an unbeaten 109 at Eden Gardens.

It can be noted that Rohit loves batting against the Kolkata Knight Riders and especially at Eden Gardens. Most of his best knocks in the tournament have come against KKR. Here we take a look at the top five best knocks of Rohit Sharma in the IPL.

Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL 2009) – 32 (13)

Venue: Johannesburg

Match won by: Deccan Chargers

Man of the match: Rohit Sharma

After being asked to bat by the Deccan Chargers, the Knights put up a target of 160 runs on the board. David Hussey’s 17-ball 43 was the only valuable knock from the KKR batting line-up. In reply, Deccan Chargers’ batting stuttered throughout and they required 21 off the last over to go over the line.

Not many would have thought that the Hyderabad outfit would chase 22 runs in the last over, but Rohit Sharma had other plans. He hit two sixes and two fours in that over to help his side win by six wickets.

While Sharma has scored many other longer knocks in the IPL, these 32 runs remain special because of the pressure they came under. The Deccan Chargers eventually went on win the 2009 IPL season. Rohit was one of the best performers for the Chargers until 2011, when he was bought by the Mumbai Indians.

Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings (IPL 2015 final) – 50(26)

Venue: Kolkata

Match won by: Mumbai Indians

Man of the match: Rohit Sharma

Eden Gardens has been one of the happy hunting grounds of Rohit Sharma in IPL. Arch-rivals Mumbai and Chennai faced off each other in the finals of IPL 2015 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. After winning the toss, MS Dhoni asked Mumbai to bat first. Opening the batting for Mumbai, Lendl Simmons scored a fantastic 45-ball 68 but the other opener, Parthiv Patel, was dismissed for a golden duck. Coming in at no. 3, Rohit scored an unbeaten 50 off just 26 balls at a strike-rate of 192.31. His quick-fire half-century helped Mumbai post a total of 202 runs in 20 overs.

In reply, CSK were able to manage only 161 runs, as MI won their second IPL title. Rohit Sharma also won the Player of the Match award for his knock. He also became the third MI batsman after Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar to score a century in the IPL.

Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL 2012) – 109*(60)

Venue: Kolkata

Match won by: Mumbai Indians

Man of the match: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma scored his only IPL century in the 2012 season. After winning the toss, Mumbai decided to bat first. Opening the batting with Herschelle Gibbs, Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed for only two runs. Then walked in Rohit Sharma, who forged a record partnership with Gibbs as the two together hammered the KKR bowlers for runs all over the ground.

In their allotted 20 overs, Mumbai Indians scored 182 runs for the loss of just one wicket. While Rohit remained unbeaten on109, Gibbs was not out on 66. Rohit’s century was laced with 12 fours and five sixes.

Chasing a target of 183 runs to win, KKR could manage only 155 runs and lost the game by 27 runs. Rohit Sharma won the Player of the Match award.

Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL 2015) – 98* (65)

Venue: Kolkata

Match won by: Kolkata Knight Riders

Man of the match: Morne Morkel

It was the very first match of the 2015 season, being played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Batting first, Mumbai Indians posted a total of 168 runs on the board. Opening the batting, Rohit Sharma remained unbeaten on 98 off 65 runs, which included 12 fours and 4 sixes. Kolkata chased down the target in only 18.3 overs, but Sharma, with this knock, completed 3,000 runs in the IPL and became only the second player to do so after Suresh Raina.

Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (IPL 2018) – 94 (54)

Venue: Mumbai

Match won by: Mumbai Indians

Man of the match: Rohit Sharma

It was the 14th match of the IPL 2018 played at Wankhede Stadium. After winning the toss, Virat Kohli decided to field first. Mumbai Indians posted a big total of 213 in their 20 allotted overs while losing six wickets. Evin Lewis and Rohit Sharma’s partnership was the turning point of Mumbai’s innings. While Lewis scored a 42-ball 52, Rohit scored a 54-ball 94 which was laced with 10 fours and five sixes.

In reply, RCB could manage only 167 runs, with the only significant contribution coming from Virat Kohli, who scored 92 runs. This was Mumbai’s first win of the season and Rohit deservedly won the Man of the Match award.

Umaima Saeed
A writer who primarily writes on cricket. As of 2021, she has covered cricket for more than a dozen publications.

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