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Follow UsThe India-Afghanistan fixture at the 2023 World Cup, Match 9 of the tournament, was a one-way traffic. It was decided within the first 10 overs of India’s run chase itself. While Afghanistan’s total of 272/8 was deemed underpar by the standards of the Delhi pitch this tournament, India’s racing start ensured Afghanistan have little chances of a comeback - only 4% on the Criclytics Win Predictor.
In one of the most significant stats of the match, Rohit Sharma outscored the Afghan team in the powerplay. Afghanistan were 48/1 after 10 overs. Rohit had himself hammered unbeaten 76 runs in the first 10 overs, facing 43 balls. Ishan Kishan, at the other end, was 11 off 17 balls. It was a sweet reminder of the Sanath Jayasuriya-Romesh Kaluwithrana partnerships from old times.
Those 76 in the powerplay (Rohit finished 131 from 83 balls) included four sixes. The third of them took him past Chris Gayle’s record - a self-proclaimed Six Machine - of most sixes in international cricket.
“I want to break Chris Gayle’s six-hitting record,” Rohit said during the Asia Cup 2023 in an interaction with Vimal Kumar. At that time, the Mumbaikar was only 14 sixes behind Gayle. It could be a well-assessed statement from Rohit based on his proximity with the summit, but for long, he was the only batter in sight to go past the Jamaican six machine in this regard.
For instance, among other active players, the next best in the list, Martin Guptill, is still 170 sixes behind Gayle, at 383. Following him is Jos Buttler at 315.
It is the effortlessness in Rohit’s sixes that separates him from the rest. With Gayle, there was a palpable feeling of the left-hander bludgeoning power into the ball. Shahid Afridi and Brendon McCullum smashed the ball with a high downswing of the bat, injecting every ounce of their lean body into the stoke. MS Dhoni resembled a desi butcher when he sent the ball flying over the ropes. Jayasuriya is remembered for his slashes and whips whenever the bowler erred.
Rohit, meanwhile, shows minimum fuss. He is a laid-back character who doesn’t entertain any puerile questions during his media interactions. His frown will answer more than his words. The same is visible in his batting too. More of a caresser than a hitter unlike other elite six-hitters, Rohit sends the ball flying like he is batting in energy-saving mode.
His body movements are as minimal as you will see for anyone attempting a big shot. He has the gift of timing like most other boundary hitters, but with his efficient swing, his bat kisses the ball away rather than clobbering it. A heavy majority of his sixes looks like the extension of a stroke that many other batters will try to hit for a four. The serene six over extra covers against Pat Cummins in the 2018 Adelaide Test is a prime example.
That is where his ability to judge the ball early comes in handy - to play the more evolved version of the stroke and yield the maximum result out of each delivery. Many of his peers refer to it as Rohit having an extra second while batting. That is the time-bending perception his strokeplay has created.
The 36-year-old has a strong affinity for the deliveries pitched short. Since the ball-by-ball data is available, covering 333 of Rohit’s 348 sixes against pace in international cricket, 49.5% of his maximums are struck on the back-of-a-length or short ball region.
His brilliance off the back foot has enabled him to churn out runs from a tricky area on the pitch. Rohit has a complete playlist of pull strokes - ranging from fine-leg to long-on. He lofts balls around his waist like it is a full-length delivery.
Since data is available, Rohit has most runs playing the pull/hook strokes against pace across formats - 2335 runs. David Warner is the only other batter to score over 2k runs on this criteria.
No one is in touching distance with the ‘Hitman’ in terms of hitting sixes with those shots.
It was fitting that Rohit went past Gayle with his trademark pull stroke. The subsequent six, the 555th, was another pull. The cameraman panned at KL Rahul’s expressions in the dugout. He was left agape and all of us could relate.
Against spin, he has planted his front foot down against good length balls to hit 40.1% of his sixes - scattered between mid-wicket and covers.
Rohit has surpassed Gayle playing 79 innings fewer. It is primarily because, for half of Gayle’s career, T20 cricket was not a thing. Here, the Indian skipper has the advantage that the whole of his career coincided with the rise of T20 cricket and snowballing numbers in ODI cricket, bringing the sixes more frequently. However, Rohit also contributed to those expanding numbers heavily.
Among the top ten six-hitters, Rohit has the highest six/innings ratio in ODIs (1.2).
On his best days, he accelerates only in sixes, which has enabled him to amass three ODI double tons. During his unbeaten 208 against Sri Lanka, his third double century, the right-hander smoked 11 sixes after completing his first 100 runs.
That way, ODIs provide the perfect platform for Rohit to milk sixes. The opposition is under pressure after his hundred and there is enough time left to rack maximums for fun.
In his 3.0 avatar, the Hitman is keen to hit them a lot earlier in his innings. It has caused his downfall a few times, leading to polarizing opinions. Much like when he was out playing the pull shot in a few overseas Tests in 2021. However, he has cleared his intentions of not changing his approach.
“If the ball is in my area, I will play my shots,” Rohit said then about his dismissal in the Nottingham Test.
“It (playing big strokes) doesn't always come off but I want to back myself to keep trying and put pressure on the opposition,” were his words after his 131 against Afghanistan.
Rohit has the most sixes in T20Is (182). He has the third most in ODIs (297) and is behind Gayle (331) and Afridi (351). He is 23 sixes short of becoming the first Indian batter to become first Indian to hit 100 Test sixes. If form and fitness persist, he will have more of these records in his trove.
But for now, it is heartening to see Rohit bat. He is in the twilight period of his career. It is a phase we should enjoy while it lasts - a batting genius flexing his six-hitting muscle.
