NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has sparked a heated debate in the cricket fraternity after declaring that ODI skipper Rohit Sharma does not belong in the pantheon of India’s all-time batting greats.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, Manjrekar drew a sharp line between the “true legends” and the current captain. “Rohit Sharma does not fit in the All-Time Indian Batting Great list because we’re talking about legends like Gavaskar (Sunil), Tendulkar (Sachin), Dravid (Rahul), and Virat (Kohli). Rohit does not quite make it there,” Manjrekar stated.
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The former batter, however, was quick to add that Rohit’s legacy lies in his selflessness and leadership, particularly in the ODI format. “But if you look at one-day cricket, selflessness, or captainship, then you have to mention Rohit Sharma. Especially after the 2023 World Cup, the love people have for him is on another level. People saw that he was never thinking about himself; he was willing to sacrifice his own interests for the team’s advantage. That’s his real speciality,” he added.
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Rohit’s World Cup record certainly strengthens his case. With 1,575 runs in 28 matches at an average of 60.57, including seven centuries, he is India’s third-highest scorer in tournament history. His five centuries at the 2019 World Cup remain unmatched, while in 2023 he piled up 597 runs at a strike rate above 125, redefining aggressive starts in ODI cricket.Across formats, Rohit’s numbers are staggering. He has 19,700 international runs, including 11,168 in ODIs with 32 hundreds and a record three double centuries. In Tests, he scored 4,301 runs with 12 centuries, and in T20Is, he leads the charts with 4,231 runs, five centuries and 205 sixes — the most by any batter.Manjrekar, though, insisted that Test cricket carries the heaviest weight in defining greatness. “His easy domination in limited-overs cricket was always pleasing, almost making 300 runs in one ODI innings. But when you talk of an all-time Indian batting great, Test cricket holds more weightage. I don’t think he made a big impact in that format,” he concluded.Rohit, who retired from Test cricket in May and T20Is after India’s 2024 World Cup triumph, continues to lead the ODI side.
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