In a landmark achievement, Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma on Saturday etched his name among the legends of the game by completing 20,000 runs in men's international cricket. The milestone was reached during the third and final One Day International (ODI) against South Africa at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
A Historic Moment for the Hitman
The moment arrived on the fourth ball of the fourteenth over in India's chase. Facing left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, Sharma went on the back foot to a delivery angled on off stump and calmly pushed it to long-on for a single. That run propelled him into an exclusive club, making him only the fourth Indian batter to cross the 20,000-run threshold in international cricket across all formats.
With this feat, Rohit Sharma joined the iconic trio of Sachin Tendulkar (34,357 runs), Virat Kohli (27,910 runs), and Rahul Dravid (24,208 runs). His entry into this elite list underscores his consistency and monumental contribution to Indian cricket over a long and illustrious career.
Bowlers Set Up the Victory
Earlier, the Indian bowling attack, led brilliantly by Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna, set the stage for the comfortable win. The duo shared eight wickets between them to bowl out South Africa for a total of 270 runs.
South Africa's innings was built around a sparkling century from wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock. He smashed 106 runs off just 89 balls, an innings laced with eight fours and six sixes. Captain Temba Bavuma provided support with a patient 48 off 67 deliveries. However, the other batters failed to capitalize on their starts, leading to a collapse.
Prasidh Krishna struck twice in the 29th over, dismissing Matthew Breetzke (24) and Aiden Markram. Kuldeep Yadav then took charge of the lower order, wrapping up the tail with his guile and variation. His figures of 4 for 41 were instrumental in restricting the Proteas.
Kuldeep Yadav's Record-Breaking Spell
Kuldeep's performance was particularly noteworthy as it helped him surpass two Indian greats. This was his fifth four-wicket haul against South Africa in ODIs. More significantly, it was his 11th such haul overall in the 50-over format, moving him past legendary spinner Anil Kumble and pace spearhead Javagal Srinath, both of whom had 10 four-wicket hauls. Kuldeep is now the third Indian bowler with the most four-wicket (or more) hauls in ODI history.
Chasing 271 for victory, the Indian openers, including the newly-crowned member of the 20,000-run club, provided a flying start. At the time of the milestone and beyond, India was cruising comfortably in their pursuit.
Rohit Sharma's entry into the 20,000-run club is a testament to his skill, longevity, and pivotal role at the top of the order for India across formats for over a decade. The victory in Visakhapatnam, powered by both batting and bowling milestones, provided a fitting end to the ODI series.
