In a breathtaking display of power-hitting, Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma shattered multiple records during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final against New Zealand at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, November 15. The 36-year-old batsman etched his name in history by becoming the first player to hit 50 sixes in the history of the Cricket World Cup, surpassing the previous record held by Chris Gayle, who managed 49 sixes from 27 matches. Rohit also achieved the distinction of hitting the most sixes in a single edition of the World Cup, reaching an impressive total of 27 in the ongoing tournament.
The Nagpur-born batter overtook Gayle's record of 26 sixes in the 2015 World Cup with a stunning display of power-hitting against New Zealand's bowling attack. Rohit's record-breaking moment occurred in the fifth over of the match, as he confidently pulled a delivery from left-arm pacer Trent Boult over deep backward square leg for his 50th World Cup six. The crowd erupted in celebration as Rohit continued to showcase his prowess by adding another maximum in the very next over, this time dispatching a delivery from Mitchell Santner over deep square leg.
Rohit Sharma's exceptional performance throughout the World Cup has solidified his status as one of the greatest batsmen in the tournament's history. His ability to consistently and effortlessly clear the boundary with sixes has earned him admiration from fans and fellow cricketers.
Talking about the match, India and New Zealand have both gone unchanged into the big game. The teams had met each other in the 2019 semi-final, in which the Men in Blue suffered a heartbreaking defeat.
"We are going to bat first. Looks like a good pitch. Looks like on the slower side. Whatever we do, we need to do well. I think it was back in 2019 when we played the semis. NZ is one of the most consistent sides. It's a very important day. Constantly, talking about how important it is about turning up on that day. It is about controlling the controllables," Rohit told Ravi Shastri after toss.