Rohit Sharma equals Sachin Tendulkar's all-time record with his 58 against Sri Lanka in 1st ODI

India skipper Rohit Sharma marked his return to One Day International with a brilliant performance against Sri Lanka. The Indian opener not only gave his team a solid start but also registered his name in the record books, equaling the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's tally of 58 scores of 50 or more as an opener in ODIs.

The ongoing match between India and Sri Lanka, at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, was India's first ODI since their World Cup final appearance in November 2023. The return of senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul to the squad added significant importance to the encounter. Hosts, having won the toss, elected to bat first and set a target of 231 runs for India.

Sharma yet again showed his aggressive batting style. From the first ball, he demonstrated his intent by dispatching the second ball of the innings for a six. His assault on debutant Mohamed Shiraz in the fourth over, scoring 14 runs, set the tone for his innings.

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Rohit Sharma surpasses the 15,000-run mark as an opener

The India captain reached his half-century in just 33 balls, celebrating the milestone with a trademark slog-sweep for six off Akila Dananjaya. The opener departed after scoring 58 runs off 47 deliveries, lacing his innings with seven boundaries and three sixes. 

This knock propelled the 37-year-old to several significant milestones. Most notably, he drew level with Tendulkar, achieving 120 scores of 50 or more as an opener across all international formats. This feat places him in an elite group of openers, with only five players ahead of him in this category.

Rohit's innings also saw him surpass the 15,000-run mark as an opener in international cricket, becoming only the tenth player to achieve this distinction. He now stands behind fellow India's Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar in this illustrious list.

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Furthermore, the veteran batter reached the milestone of 1000 fours in ODI cricket during this innings, joining a select group of just 13 players to have achieved this feat. His tally of 1001 fours places him fifth among Indian batters in this category. Sharma also overtook Eoin Morgan to become the captain with the most sixes across all formats, with his tally now standing at an impressive 234 maximums.