All-Time Indian Batting Greats: Former cricketer stirs debate; says ‘Rohit Sharma does not quite make it there’ | Cricket News – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has sparked a heated debate within the cricket fraternity after declaring that ODI skipper Rohit Sharma does not belong within the pantheon of India’s all-time batting greats.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, Manjrekar drew a pointy line between the “true legends” and the present captain. “Rohit Sharma does not fit in the All-Time Indian Batting Great list because we’re talking about legends like Gavaskar (Sunil), Tendulkar (Sachin), Dravid (Rahul), and Virat (Kohli). Rohit does not quite make it there,” Manjrekar acknowledged.The former batter, nonetheless, was fast so as to add that Rohit’s legacy lies in his selflessness and management, notably within the ODI format. “But if you look at one-day cricket, selflessness, or captainship, then you have to mention Rohit Sharma. Especially after the 2023 World Cup, the love people have for him is on another level. People saw that he was never thinking about himself; he was willing to sacrifice his own interests for the team’s advantage. That’s his real speciality,” he added.

Rohit’s World Cup document actually strengthens his case. With 1,575 runs in 28 matches at a mean of 60.57, together with seven centuries, he’s India’s third-highest scorer in match historical past. His 5 centuries on the 2019 World Cup stay unmatched, whereas in 2023 he piled up 597 runs at a strike charge above 125, redefining aggressive begins in ODI cricket.Across codecs, Rohit’s numbers are staggering. He has 19,700 worldwide runs, together with 11,168 in ODIs with 32 tons of and a document three double centuries. In Tests, he scored 4,301 runs with 12 centuries, and in T20Is, he leads the charts with 4,231 runs, 5 centuries and 205 sixes — essentially the most by any batter.Manjrekar, although, insisted that Test cricket carries the heaviest weight in defining greatness. “His easy domination in limited-overs cricket was always pleasing, almost making 300 runs in one ODI innings. But when you talk of an all-time Indian batting great, Test cricket holds more weightage. I don’t think he made a big impact in that format,” he concluded.Rohit, who retired from Test cricket in May and T20Is after India’s 2024 World Cup triumph, continues to guide the ODI aspect.