India vs Sri Lanka: Rohit Sharma eyes top spot on batting charts, set to overtake Shoaib Malik during T20Is
India Today
India vs Sri Lanka: Rohit Sharma needs 37 more runs to become the all-time leading run-scorer in T20I cricket. The star batter will lead India in the upcoming 3-match series against the visiting Sri Lankan side from February 24.
Rohit Sharma will head into the T20I series against Sri Lanka approaching a couple of major milestones that will be landmark moments in his celebrated career in the shortest format of the game. Rohit will lead in a 3-match series against the visitors from February 24 o 27.
Rohit Sharma is all set to overtake Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik on the list of players with the most appearances in T20I cricket. Rohit is already the most-capped Indian player and if he plays all 3 matches against Sri Lanka, he will set a new world record, overtaking Malik's tally of 124 matches.
Only 9 cricketers have played more than 100 matches in men's T20Is and Rohit is the only Indian in the elite list. MS Dhoni (98) is second on the list of Indians with the most T20I caps while Virat Kohli is 3rd with 97 matches. The former captain, however, has been rested from the 3-match series against Sri Lanka will be played in Lucknow and Dharamsala.
1. Shoaib Malik (Pakistan) - 1242. Rohit Sharma (India) - 1223. Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan) - 1194. Eoin Morgan (England) - 1155. Mahmudullah (Bangladesh) - 113
On the eve of the 1st T20I against Bangladesh, Rohit dismissed concerns about his fitness and said he is hopeful of being available for most matches despite taking over as the captain of the team across all formats. Rohit has been bogged down by injury issues in the recent past. He missed the tour of South Africa but the selection committee is confident of Rohit's fitness in the lead up to the T20 World Cup and the 50-over World Cup next year.
"At the moment, I have no issues and looking forward to playing all the games," Rohit said on Wednesday.
"The workload always depends on what happens thereafter and you take day by day and understand what you do and if a break is needed, you take a break and someone else comes in."
