Rohit Sharma: India's Greatest ODI Opening Batter and His Record Centuries
Rohit Sharma's batting career, three World Cup centuries, and the technique that makes him the most prolific ODI batter when set — how he transformed from middle-order batsman to legendary opener.
Rohit Sharma is India's most prolific ODI run-scorer and the only player to have scored three double centuries in ODI cricket. His transformation from middle-order batter to opening batsman in ODIs — ordered by coach Duncan Fletcher in 2013 as an experiment — is one of cricket's most consequential tactical decisions. As an opener, Rohit's ability to bat deep (scoring 264, 209, and 264 are his three ODI double hundreds) made him uniquely dominant in the 50-over format.
Technique and Playing Style
- Power through timing: Rohit generates extraordinary power through late hitting and superb timing rather than brute strength — his shots look effortless when he's in form.
- Pull and hook: Against short-pitched bowling, Rohit's pull shot is one of the cleanest in world cricket — he picks length early and gets into position quickly.
- Straight bat: His on-drive and straight drive are technically correct — Rohit is one of the few power batters who is also classically sound in the V.
- T20 innovation: Rohit was an early adopter of the ramp shot and switch hit in T20 cricket, expanding the scoring zones around the wicket.
- Captaincy: As India's T20 and Test captain from 2022, Rohit's cricket intelligence has been widely praised, including guiding India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title.
Frequently asked questions
How many ODI centuries has Rohit Sharma scored?
Rohit Sharma has scored over 30 ODI centuries, making him one of the highest century-scorers in ODI cricket history. He holds the record for the most double centuries in ODIs (three: 209, 264, and 208*) and was the top run-scorer in the 2019 Cricket World Cup with five centuries in the tournament. He has also scored over 40 T20I fifties/hundreds and over 12,000 ODI runs.
Why did Rohit Sharma become an ODI opener?
Rohit Sharma became an ODI opener due to a suggestion from India coach Duncan Fletcher in 2013. Rohit had been a middle-order batter for India for several years but was considered inconsistent at that position. Fletcher identified that Rohit's technique was better suited to opening — he could cash in on fielding restrictions in the powerplay and had the ability to bat for long periods. The experiment worked immediately: Rohit scored 209 vs Australia in his first ODI as opener and has dominated the format ever since.
What is Rohit Sharma's Test record?
Rohit Sharma has been a prolific Test opener for India since 2019 when he was promoted to the Test opening position. He scored over 4,000 Test runs with multiple centuries and strong averages against quality pace attacks. His conversion of starts to big scores in Tests — similar to his ODI pattern — has made him one of India's most important Test batters. He captained India to their 2024 T20 World Cup win and continued as Test captain through 2025.