In a remarkable feat, Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma equaled South Africa's AB de Villiers' record for hitting the most ODI sixes in a calendar year during the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 match against South Africa at the Eden Gardens.
Rohit surpassed West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who now ranks second on the list with 56 sixes in 2019. The 36-year-old Indian skipper achieved this milestone in 23 innings, taking five more innings than de Villiers.
During his innings of 40 runs, Rohit Sharma hit Lungi Ngidi for two sixes, bringing his tally to 58 sixes in the calendar year. However, he was eventually caught by Temba Bavuma off Kagiso Rabada in the sixth over.
In the match, India made a strong start, with Rohit aggressively taking on the South African pacers and scoring runs all around the ground. India reached fifty in just 4.3 overs, and by the end of the powerplay, the team had amassed 91 runs for the loss of one wicket. This was the second-highest number of runs conceded by South Africa in the first 10 overs of the tournament, with the highest being 94 for 2 against Sri Lanka.
As of the latest update, India's score was 223/3 in 36 overs, demonstrating their solid performance in the match.
(With Agency Inputs)
ALSO READ | Men’s ODI WC: India win toss, choose to bat first against South Africa
