Allan Border and Rohit Sharma: Captains in the Record Books

Sunday marked a special occasion for Rohit Sharma as he participated in the second T20I against Afghanistan.

by MOHAMMED AZMATHULLA

India’s captain Rohit Sharma (R) fields the ball during the first Twenty20 international cricket match between India and Afghanistan at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali

Indian captain Rohit Sharma marked a significant moment in the second T20I against Afghanistan as he made a comeback to the shortest format after an absence of more than 14 months. In a historic feat, Rohit became the first player in T20I history to reach 150 matches.

The seasoned Indian batter had last played in the T20I format in November 2022, leading India in the T20 World Cup. Notably, Rohit’s return coincided with the World Cup year, adding an intriguing element to his comeback in the format. It is worth mentioning that the USA and the West Indies will co-host the marquee tournament in June 2024.

Before the second match against Afghanistan in Indore, Rohit Sharma already held the record for the highest number of T20I appearances, reaching a milestone of 150 games. With an illustrious T20I career, Rohit has accumulated 3853 runs, an exceptional record that includes an impressive four centuries. Notably, Rohit achieved a unique feat by joining Allan Border, the former Australian captain, as the first to reach the 150-match mark in both Tests and ODIs.

Adding an interesting twist, the second Indian on the list for the highest number of T20I appearances also made his return to the shortest format on Sunday: Virat Kohli, who has played 116 matches.

Kohli missed the opening match against Afghanistan for personal reasons but returned to the playing XI on Sunday, replacing Tilak Varma. Currently the highest run-scorer in T20Is, Kohli remains the only player to surpass the 4000-run mark in the format. With a total of 4008 runs in 116 matches, his inclusion in the T20I series adds considerable firepower to the Indian lineup and the team’s preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Here’s the list of the players with the highest appearances in T20Is:

Rohit Sharma (India) – 150
Paul Stirling (Ireland) – 134
George Dockrell (Ireland) – 128
Shoaib Malik (Pakistan/ICC XI) – 124
Martin Guptill (New Zealand) – 122

Earlier, Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bowl in the second T20I in Indore. India, leading the three-match series 1-0 following their previous win in Mohali, aim to maintain their winning streak and seal another T20I series; following the ODI World Cup in November, India had beaten Australia (home) and South Africa (away) in T20I bilaterals.