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Rohit Sharma's felicity with the bat is giving a decisive edge to India's campaign in the World Cup with the Indian skipper trying to make the most of the powerplay with his strong hitting.
An indicator of Rohit Sharma's fearless audacity against top opposition attacks is the number of sixes he has hit so far in the World Cup, which are more than combined maximums hit by any other team. And the Indian opener is trying to make the most of the opportunity he has, having missed the 2011 World Cup which India won, when he was an emerging talent. Rohit's explosive powerplay partnerships with Shubman Gill and signature pull shot reflect a missionary approach as India tries to recreate the 2011 magic. His attacking approach has helped Virat Kohli and other batsmen in the middle order - Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja - to pace their innings without undue pressure. As per ESPNCricinfo, Rohit has smashed 35 sixes in the first ten overs of India's innings across all matches in the tournament. He has hit more sixes than any other team in the first powerplay in the tournament so far. Australia have hit 34 sixes and South Africa 19 in the first power play. Due to Rohit's contribution, India have hit 46 sixes in the first powerplay in their five matches so far. Rohit has so far scored 311 in five matches at an average of 62.20 and a strike rate of over 133.47. He has scored a century and a fifty in the tournament so far. His best score is 131. He is the second-highest run-getter in the World Cup so far behind Virat Kohli (354 runs in five matches), India defeated New Zealand on Sunday in a hard-fought match, registering their fifth straight win of the tournament. Mohammed Shami (5/54) was the leading bowler for India. Chasing 274, skipper Rohit (46) and Shubman Gill (26) provided a good platform with a 71-run opening stand. Virat Kohli (95) and Ravindra Jadeja (39*) steered India's innings to achieve victory. (ANI)
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