Rohit Gurunath Sharma (born 30 April 1987) is an Indian international cricketer who currently captains the India national cricket team across all formats. He is a right-handed batsman. Considered one of the best batsmen of his generation and one of the greatest opening batters of all time, Sharma is known for his timing, elegance, six-hitting abilities and leadership skills. Sharma holds several batting records which famously includes most double centuries in ODI cricket (3),most centuries at Cricket World Cups (7) and most hundreds in Twenty20 Internationals(5). Rohit Sharma is the first player to score 5 T20I centuries. He plays for Mumbai Indians in IPL and for Mumbai in domestic cricket.
Sharma formerly captained Mumbai Indians and the team has won 5 titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 under his leadership, making him the most successful captain in IPL history, sharing this record with MS Dhoni (5 title wins in IPL). With India, Sharma was a member of the team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, where he played in the finals of both tournaments. Rohit is one of four players to have played in every edition of the ICC T20 World Cup, from the inaugural edition in 2007 to the latest one in 2022.
Sharma currently holds the world record for the highest individual score (264) in a One Day International (ODI) match and is the only player to have scored three double-centuries in ODIs and also holds the record for scoring most hundreds (five) in a single Cricket World Cup, for which he won the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year award in 2019. Sharma has received two national honours, the Arjuna Award in 2015 and the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2020 by the Government of India. Under his captaincy, India won the 2018 Asia Cup and the 2023 Asia Cup, the seventh and eighth time the country won the title, both in ODI format as well as the 2018 Nidahas Trophy, their second overall and first in T20I format.
Outside cricket, Sharma is an active supporter of animal welfare campaigns. He is the official Rhino Ambassador for WWF-India and is a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). He has worked with PETA in its campaign to raise awareness of the plight of homeless cats and dogs in India.
Early life
Sharma was born on 30 April 1987 in Bansod, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. His mother, Purnima Sharma, is from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. His father, Gurunath Sharma, worked as a caretaker of a transport firm storehouse. Sharma was raised by his grandparents and uncles in Borivali because of his father’s low income. He would visit his parents, who lived in a single-room house in Dombivli, only during weekends. He has a younger brother, Vishal Sharma. His mother tongue is Telugu.
Sharma joined a cricket camp in 1999 with his uncle’s money. Dinesh Lad, his coach at the camp, asked him to change his school to Swami Vivekanand International School, where Lad was the coach and the cricket facilities were better than those at Sharma’s old school. Sharma recollects, “I told him I couldn’t afford it, but he got me a scholarship. So for four years I didn’t pay a penny, and did well in my cricket”. Sharma started as an off-spinner who could bat a bit before Lad noticed his batting ability and promoted him from number eight to open the innings. He excelled in the Harris and Giles Shield school cricket tournaments, scoring a century on debut as an opener.
Personal life
Sharma married his longtime girlfriend, Ritika Sajdeh on 13 December 2015. They have one child, a girl born in 2018. She is a practitioner of the meditation technique Sahaj Marg.
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He practices an eggetarian diet.
Commercial endorsements
Sharma has been sponsored by several brands including CEAT and the Swiss watchmaker Hublot. In his career, Sharma has endorsed many other brands including Maggi, Fair and Lovely, Lay’s, Nissan, energy drink Relentless, Nasivion nasal spray, Aristocrat by VIP Industries, Adidas and Oppo mobiles.
Rohit Sharma Height Weight Age Body Statistics Biography
| Bio | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Rohit Gurunath Sharma |
| Nickname(s) | Hitman, Ro, Shaana Note: According to Rohit, the nickname “Shaana” was given to him by Yuvraj Singh. |
| Profession | Cricketer |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 173 cm in meters- 1.73 m in Feet Inches- 5’ 8” |
| Weight (approx.) | in Kilograms- 72 kg in Pounds- 159 lbs |
| Body Measurements (approx.) | – Chest: 40 Inches – Waist: 31 Inches – Biceps: 12 Inches |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Cricket | |
| International Debut | ODI- 23 June 2007 against Ireland at Belfast Test- 6 November 2013 against West Indies at Kolkata T20 – 19 September 2007 against England at Durban |
| Jersey Number | #45 (India) #45 (IPL) |
| Domestic/State Team | Mumbai, Mumbai Indians |
| Nature on field | Calm |
| Likes to play against | Pakistan, Australia |
| Favourite Shot | Pull shot |
| Favourite Batting Drill | Straight down the ground |
| Records (main ones) | • Highest individual score in an ODI match (264 runs). • The first player to score 2 double centuries in ODIs. • Shares the record for most number of 6s in an ODI match (16 sixes), joining AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle. • Second Indian player after Suresh Raina to have scored a century in each of the 3 formats (Test, ODI, T20). • Highest ODI score by a visiting batsman against Australia in Australia (171 runs). • Third Indian player to score more than 1,000 runs against Australia in ODIs, joining Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni. • During the 2019 World Cup, apart from being the highest run scorer (648 runs), he broke many records including the most number of World Cup centuries. He scored his fifth ton in the World Cup in the last league match of India against Sri Lanka; breaking Kumar Sangakkara’s record for the most number of centuries in a single World Cup in the process. He also equalled the record for most centuries (i.e., 6 in number) in World Cups with Sachin Tendulkar. He also became only the fourth international batsman after Sachin Tendulkar (India – 2003), Mathew Hayden (Australia – 2007) and Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh – 2019) to score over 600 runs in a single edition of the World Cup. • On 5 October 2019, during a test match against South Africa, he became the first batsman to score two centuries on debut as an opener. • Maximum fifty-plus scores (30 times) in T20I Hindustan Times • On 12 September 2023, Rohit scored 10,000 ODI runs during a match against Sri Lanka at the 2023 Asia Cup, becoming the second-fastest to score such runs; he became the 6th Indian and the 15th overall to complete 10,000 runs. Hindustan Times • On 11 October 2023, Rohit recorded the most number of centuries in World Cup history by breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record during a match against Afghanistan at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Deccan Herald • On 14 October 2023, he became the only third batter to hit 300 sixes in one day internationals during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The Times of India |
| Career Turning Point | His unbeaten score of 142 runs in 123 balls for West Zone against North Zone at Udaipur in the 2005 Deodhar Trophy. |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 30 April 1987 |
| Age (as of 2024) | 37 Years |
| Birthplace | Bansod, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India |
| Zodiac sign | Taurus |
| Signature |  |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Nagpur, Maharashtra, India |
| School | Swami Vivekanand International School and Junior College, Mumbai Our Lady of Vailankanni High School, Mumbai |
| College | Did not attend |
| Educational Qualifications | 12th standard |
| Family | Father– Gurunath Sharma (Worked as a caretaker of a transportation company storehouse) Mother– Purnima Sharma Sister– N/A Brother– Vishal Sharma (Younger) |
| Coach/Mentor | Dinesh Lad |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Address | A 4-BHK apartment in Ahuja Towers, Worli, Mumbai |
| Hobbies | Travelling, watching movies, playing table tennis & video games |
| Controversies | • In the 2015 World Cup quarter-final match between India and Bangladesh, when Rubel Hossain took the wicket of Rohit Sharma, Pakistan’s umpire Aleem Dar adjudged Rubel’s full-toss as waist high ‘no-ball’. However, TV replays showed that it was a real touch-and-go situation which could have gone either way. The very next day ICC president Mustafa Kamal who criticised “poor umpiring.” ICC, however, claimed that it was a 50-50 call and umpire’s decision must be respected. • In October 2023, Rohit Sharma was handed three fines by the Pune traffic police for overspeeding on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. According to reports, Rohit Sharma crossed the 200 kmph speed limit while driving and even reached up to the speed of 215 kmph at certain times. India Today |
| Favourites | |
| Cricketers | Batsman : Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag Bowler : Harbhajan Singh |
| Food | Aloo Parantha, Chinese cuisine, eggs |
| Actors | Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan |
| Actresses | Kareena Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone, Megan Fox, Blake Lively |
| Films | Bollywood: Veer-Zara, Hera Pheri, Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander, Border Hollywood: The Avengers, Iron Man, The Dark Night Rises |
| Directors | David Dhawan, Priyadarshan, Imtiaz Ali, James Cameron |
| Songs | Tere Liye Hum Hai Jiye from the film Veer-Zaara (2004), Started From The Bottom by Drake |
| Car | Aston Martin |
| Hotel | Long Beach Golf & Spa Resort, Mauritius |
| Travel Destination | New York |
| Girls, Family & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Sofia Hayat (Actress) Ritika Sajdeh (Sports manager) |
| Wife/Spouse | Ritika Sajdeh (Sports manager, m.2015-present) |
| Marriage Date | 13 December 2015 |
| Children | Daughter– Samaira (born in 2018) Son– None |
| Style Quotient |
|
| Cars Collection | BMW M5 Series, Lamborghini Urus |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary (as of 2017) | RETAINER FEE: 1 crore (INR) TEST FEE: 15 lakh (INR) ODI FEE: 6 lakh (INR) T20 FEE: 3 lakh (INR) |
| Net Worth (approx.) | 227 crore (INR) |
International Career
Test matches
In November 2013, during Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell series, Sharma made his Test debut at Eden Gardens in Kolkata against West Indies and scored 177, the second-highest score on debut by an Indian to Shikhar Dhawan (187). He followed it up with 111 (not out) in the second Test at his home ground, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Having been out of the Test team since 2017–18, Sharma went on the 2018–19 tour of Australia after he had earned a recall earlier. Chief selector M. S. K. Prasad said the reason for his recall was that his natural game suited the bouncy Australian pitches. Sharma played in the first Test in Adelaide, scoring 37 and 1 in an Indian victory. During the first Test, he sustained a minor injury which saw him miss the second Test in Perth. He recovered for the Boxing Day third Test at Melbourne and scored 63 (not out) to help India total 443/7 and win both the Test and the series. After the third Test, Sharma had to return to India for the birth of his daughter.
In October 2019, in the third Test against South Africa, Sharma scored his 2,000th run and his first double century in Tests. He made 212 in the first innings of the match. Sharma was named as vice-captain of India’s Test team during the tour of Australia in 2020, replacing Cheteshwar Pujara.
Sharma had a successful home series against England in 2021. Instrumental in his team’s comeback after a defeat in the first Test at Chennai, he scored a century, one that The Guardian termed “deserves to be considered one of the greatest this century.” He put on 167 runs with Ajinkya Rahane for the fourth wicket while making 161 runs in an innings that included 18 fours and two sixes. India went on to win the Test by 317 runs. He top-scored for his side in both innings of the low-scoring third Test in Ahmedabad with scores of 66 and 25 contributing to his team’s win. Sharma finished the series aggregating 345 runs, the most for India, at an average of 58. He went on to score his first overseas Test century on 4 September 2021 with an innings of 127 against England at The Oval, also reaching the milestone of 3,000 runs in Test cricket.
Sharma was appointed captain of India’s Test team in February 2022, succeeding Virat Kohli, ahead of a two-match series against Sri Lanka. Sunil Gavaskar praised his leadership and Chetan Sharma, India’s chairman of selectors, said: “We will groom future captains under him”.
2015, 2019 and 2023 Cricket World Cups
In March 2015, Sharma made his first appearance in the Cricket World Cup and played in eight matches for India in the 2015 tournament in Australia. India reached the semi-final stage where they were defeated by Australia. Sharma scored 330 runs in the tournament with one century, a score of 137 in the quarter-final against Bangladesh.
On 15 April 2019, Sharma was appointed vice-captain of India’s squad for the 2019 World Cup in England. In the opening match against South Africa, he scored 122, including his 12,000th run in international cricket. He followed it up with centuries against Pakistan, England and Bangladesh. In the match against Sri Lanka, hitting yet another century, he became the first batsman to score five centuries in a single World Cup tournament, and equalled Tendulkar’s record for the most centuries (6) in all World Cup matches. Sharma totalled 648 runs in the tournament to finish as the leading run-scorer and win the ICC’s Golden Bat award, the third Indian player to do so.
On 8 October 2023, during the ICC Cricket World Cup, Sharma was entrusted with the captaincy responsibilities for the Indian team in a match against Australia. This significant moment marked the first time he captained the Indian side in the Cricket World Cup. What set this particular event apart was that at that time, he had become the oldest player to lead the Indian team in the tournament, showcasing his maturity and experience as a cricketer.
On 11 October 2023, during a match against Afghanistan in the Cricket World Cup 2023, Sharma achieved a milestone by surpassing the Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most centuries in World Cup history. With a display of batting prowess, Sharma notched his seventh century, breaking the record in this World Cup encounter.
Twenty20 international matches
Sharma was included in the Indian squad for the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and made his mark by scoring an unbeaten 50 from 40 deliveries against hosts South Africa in the quarter-finals. This enabled India to win the match by 37 runs and they went on to defeat Pakistan in the final, when Sharma scored 30 (not out) from 16 deliveries.
On 2 October 2015, during the South African tour of India, Sharma scored 106 in the first Twenty20 international at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. With that, he became the second Indian cricketer to have scored centuries in all three formats of international cricket.
In December 2017, in a series against Sri Lanka, Sharma scored the joint-fastest T20I century, in 35 balls, ending with 118 from 43 deliveries, equaling the record of David Miller. This was also his second century in Twenty20 internationals.
On 8 July 2018, during a series in England, Sharma became the second Indian batsman, after Virat Kohli, to score 2,000 runs in a Twenty20 international career. He was the fifth batsman worldwide to achieve the feat; the others besides Kohli were Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and Shoaib Malik. He also scored his third T20I century during this series, equaling the then-record for most T20I centuries, held by Colin Munro.
In March 2018, he led Team India to win the Nidahas Trophy under his captaincy. In November 2018, in a series against West Indies, he scored his fourth T20I century, creating a new record for the most centuries by a player in T20I cricket.
In November 2019, in the opening match of the series against Bangladesh, Sharma became the most-capped cricketer for India in T20Is, playing in his 99th match. In the next match of the series, he became the first male cricketer for India to play in 100 T20Is.
In November 2020, Sharma was nominated for the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade award.
In July 2022, Sharma became the first captain in T20I history to lead their team to 14 consecutive victories.
With his participation in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, Sharma became the only Indian cricketer to have played in every edition of the tournament since its inception in 2007.
On 27 October 2022, Sharma broke the record for most sixes by an Indian batsman in T20 World Cups, previously held by Yuvraj Singh, hitting his 34th six against Netherlands at Sydney Cricket Ground.
Indian Premier League
Sharma joined the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 when he was signed by the Deccan Chargers franchise, based in Hyderabad, for the sum of US$750,000 a year. In the 2011 auction, he was sold for US$2 million to the Mumbai Indians. He scored his only IPL century in the 2012 tournament with 109 (not out) against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Under his leadership, Mumbai has won the IPL in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020; they also won the former Champions League Twenty20 competition in 2013.
Sharma has been one of the most successful players in the IPL as captain since 2013 of the Mumbai Indians, who have won the tournament five times under his leadership. He is currently (March 2022) one of six players who have scored 5,000 career runs in the competition. Sharma has 5,611 runs with one century and 40 half centuries and is the third-highest run scorer after Virat Kohli (6,283) and Shikhar Dhawan (5,784).
Playing style
Sharma is an aggressive batsman but plays with style and elegance. He is usually an opening batsman in limited overs cricket, but has played most of his Test cricket as a middle-order batsman. In limited overs cricket, Sharma is widely recognised as one of the format’s most outstanding batsmen. And for his attacking batting and six hitting abilities he often referred as Hitman.
Sunil Gavaskar considers Sharma to have a batting style similar to those of Virender Sehwag and Viv Richards. In his column for The Times of India in November 2018, Gavaskar said:
The standout performer in both the limited overs series and the T20 series has been Rohit Sharma. Like Virender Sehwag before him, he is unstoppable once he gets going and like Viru he has an appetite for big hundreds. When Viru used to get out looking to hit another delivery out of the park, there used to be consternation around the ground, just like it is when Rohit gets out to a seemingly casual shot. If Rohit can turn his white ball exploits into red ball cricket, he will be the most destructive batsman in the world after Viv Richards and Virender Sehwag.
While Sharma is not a regular bowler, he can bowl right arm off spin. He usually fields in the slips and has said this is a part of his game which he works very hard on for improvement.
Achievements
Sharma clinched the world record for the highest ever individual score in a one-day international match, with a remarkable 264 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on November 13, 2014. He is the only player to have scored three double-centuries in this form of international cricket. In January 2020, Sharma was named as the ODI Player of the Year by the International Cricket Council (ICC). During the 2019 World Cup, Sharma became the only batsman to scored five centuries in a single edition of the Cricket World Cup.
On 5 October 2019, during a Test match against South Africa, Sharma became the first batsman to score two centuries in a match on his first appearance as an opening batsman. In the same series, he broke Shimron Hetmyer’s record for the highest number of sixes in a Test series.
On 11 October 2023, Sharma achieved a historic feat during the 2023 Cricket World Cup match against Afghanistan team, when he surpassed the record previously held by Chris Gayle for the most international sixes (553). His powerful and elegant batting style, coupled with his consistency, allowed him to reach this milestone with 556 sixes, overtaking Gayle’s record.
On 14 October 2023, Sharma achieved a milestone in the world of cricket by becoming the first Indian to complete 300 sixes in the 50-overs format. This feat occurred during a highly anticipated India-Pakistan match at Narendra Modi Stadium, in front of more than 1 lakh enthusiastic fans. The Indian skipper’s ability to consistently clear the boundary ropes with his powerful and elegant Strokeplay has made him a dynamic force in limited-overs cricket. This achievement further solidifies his status as one of India’s premier batsmen and a cricketing legend.
On the 22nd of October 2023, during a thrilling encounter against New Zealand, Rohit Sharma, fondly known as the ‘Hitman,’ etched his name in the annals of cricket history. In a remarkable feat, he became the first Indian batter to smash 50 One Day International (ODI) sixes in a single calendar year. This incredible display of power-hitting is a testament to Rohit’s batting prowess and his ability to dominate the limited-overs format. With each mighty swing of his bat, Rohit Sharma continues to redefine the boundaries of achievement and captivate cricket enthusiasts around the world, solidifying his status as one of the most prolific and electrifying batters in the game.