DUBAI: Rohit Sharma shattered a massive record and etched his name in the record books by becoming the first captain in the history of cricket to reach the finals of all ICC tournaments.
India’s momentous triumph over Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final on Tuesday, made India the first side to reach the fifth Champions Trophy final, no other team has reached more than three.
Since Rohit took over full-time captaincy in February 2022, India has toppled several records. In a span of three years, India has stormed into the finals of every ICC tournament, making him the first skipper to achieve the feat.
An unsung hero who is rarely seen being cherished for the tactics he implements with his rich cricketing brain, Rohit’s untouched record has now made him one of the best captains the sport has ever witnessed.
With Rohit at the helm, India marched into the World Test Championship final in 2023 but succumbed to a 209-run defeat. In the same year, India stormed into the final of the ODI World Cup 2023 unbeaten but saw their entire campaign collapse in the final.
Australia staged a heartbreak for the Indian team and its fans by staging a 6-wicket victory in Ahmedabad to lift the ODI World Cup for a record sixth time.
The seasoned opener brushed away the heartbreak and orchestrated a record-shattering T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. He was the mastermind behind India going all the way to Barbados to lift the title for the first time since 2007, that too without savouring defeat once in the tournament.
The Champions Trophy was the only tournament left out of Rohit’s grasp, and on Tuesday, he made history in Dubai by leading the Men in Blue to the final of the marquee event.
With a policy of a fearless approach, India savoured the sweet taste of revenge by punching Australia’s return ticket home. In pursuit of a modest 265-run target, Virat Kohli’s chase masterclass left the Baggy Greens gobsmacked.
Virat choreographed a flawless route to the final with his swashbuckling 84(98), with Shreyas Iyer playing second fiddle with his invaluable 45(62).
By executing a memorable chase, India rewrote the record of completing its most successful run chase against Australia in an ICC event, bettering the previous best chase of 261 in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final. (ANI)
