Rohit Sharma began as a number eight off-spinner before becoming an opener
A school coach spotted that his young off-spinner could bat, promoted him from number eight to open, and arranged a scholarship so he could attend a better school free for four years. That boy, Rohit Sharma, later made 264 in a one-day international, still the highest individual score in the format.
Sharma was born on 30 April 1987 in Nagpur to a Marathi-Telugu family. His father's low income as a caretaker at a transport firm's storehouse meant Rohit grew up with grandparents and uncles in Borivali, visiting his parents' single-room home in Dombivli only at weekends. An uncle paid for a cricket camp in 1999, where coach Dinesh Lad recognised his batting and he scored a century on debut as an opener in schools cricket.
A 142 not out for West Zone in 2005 brought him attention, and his Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai produced 205 against Gujarat, a side against which he later struck 309 not out in December 2009. He made his India debut in Belfast in June 2007 and was part of that year's T20 World Cup win. Dropped for the 2011 World Cup after poor form, he debuted in Tests only in November 2013, scoring 177 at Eden Gardens during Sachin Tendulkar's farewell series.
His records are remarkable: the most sixes in international cricket, three ODI double centuries, and seven World Cup centuries, including five in the 2019 tournament alone, where he topped the run charts with 648. He captained Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles, a record shared with MS Dhoni, and is the only Indian to win two T20 World Cups.
As national captain he lifted the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, and he is the only captain to lead a team in every ICC tournament final. Poor form in 2024–25 preceded his Test retirement on 7 May 2025 after 67 Tests and 4,301 runs. He received the Arjuna Award in 2015, the Khel Ratna in 2020 and the Padma Shri in 2026.
Source: Rohit Sharma
