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It will be another day of festivities for cricket fans globally, particularly those of the 50-over format, as two of the format's biggest legends, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will grace Guwahati with their presence, evergreen strokeplay and records during the second ODI against West Indies on Wednesday.
With the road leading upto the 2027 Cricket World Cup offering these two legends a chance to have one final encore in various parts of the world, the 'Ro-Ko' train will stop at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, Assam, a state where both have played some of their best cricket. Guwahati is a place which has brought the best out of Rohit. In his two outings here, Rohit has scored 235 runs in two innings at an average of 235.00 and a strike rate of 127.71, with a century and a fifty. His best score is a 117-ball 152* against the West Indies way back in 2018. Rohit is also just 73 runs away from becoming the third Indian to reach 12,000 runs in ODIs. Currently, the 39-year-old sits at 11,927 runs in 289 ODIs and 281 innings at an average of 48.88, with 34 centuries and 62 fifties, including a best score of 264. This year in 10 ODIs, the graph has gone up and down for the Hitman as he has made 411 runs at an average of 41.10 and a strike rate of 98.56, with a century (an iconic 138 at Lord's) and a fifty to his name. After a 35-ball 32 in the previous match, Rohit will be aiming to convert his entertaining starts into something bigger. On the other hand, Virat's record at Assam is even grander, with the batter having peeled off three successive centuries across two venues: the Nehru Stadium and the Barsapara Stadium. A knock of 110 against New Zealand came in November 2010, when the 37-year-old had not experienced the magnitude of superstardom and expectations he faces today. Later in 2018, he came back to Assam, experiencing a golden phase in international cricket, particularly ODIs, averaging 133.55 to end the calendar year of 2018. One of his six ODI tons that year included an explosive 140* against the West Indies during a successful run-chase of 323 runs. His last outing at Guwahati also saw another bat raise. In January 2023, shaking off the rust that had affected his batting form from 2021-22, Virat started the year 2023 with a 87-ball 113 in a winning cause against Sri Lanka, setting the tone for a dominant year in the 50-over format. Virat has featured in three ODIs at Assam, having scored centuries in all of them. In three matches here, the 37-year-old has scored 358 runs at an average of 119.33 and a strike rate of 120.13, with a best score of 140. In seven matches and innings in ODIs this year, Virat has scored 523 runs at an average of 87.16 and a strike rate of over 116, including two centuries and three fifties. Squads:India Squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul(w), Naman Dhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Auqib Nabi, Dhruv JurelWest Indies Squad: John Campbell, Jewel Andrew, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope(w/c), Amir Jangoo, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, Keemo Paul, Shamar Joseph, Vitel Lawes. (ANI)
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