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India's batting heavyweight Rohit Sharma added another milestone to his illustrious career on Saturday, becoming only the second Indian opener after Virender Sehwag to score 16,000 international runs across formats.
The landmark was achieved during the first ODI against Afghanistan in Dharamsala, with Rohit requiring just six runs at the start of the innings to reach the feat. The former Indian captain got there in his 384th innings as an opener. Having begun the match with 15,994 international runs as an opener, Rohit joined an elite club and further cemented his status as one of India's most accomplished opening batters across formats. Sharma now finds himself alongside some of the greatest openers in cricket history, including Sanath Jayasuriya, Chris Gayle, David Warner, Graeme Smith, Desmond Haynes and Virender Sehwag. Jayasuriya leads the all-time list with 19,298 runs, followed by Gayle (18,867) and Warner (18,744). Among Indian openers, Sehwag remains the most prolific with 16,119 runs from 400 innings in 332 matches, while Rohit has now moved to 16,010 runs, continuing his rise among the modern greats of the game. Sharma made 16 off 16 balls before his innings ended in an unfortunate runout. Hitman has scored 1,15,7793 runs in ODIs, 4,301 runs in 67 Tests and 4,231 runs in 159 T20Is, the latter two formats from which he has since retired. Coming to the match, Shubman Gill's unbeaten 84 and three-wicket hauls by both the debutants Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey helped India clinch a seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the first ODI of the three-match series, at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala, on Saturday. After bowlers Brar and Dubey combined to bowl Afghanistan out for 194 in 24.5 overs in a rain-shortened 25-overs-per-side contest, India's batters responded with a blend of aggression and composure, chasing down the 195-run target with ease to seal a seven-wicket victory. (ANI)
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