Rohit Sharma is an Indian cricketer who has captained the Indian national cricket team across all formats. Holding various records as a right-hand batsman to his name, he is considered one of the best opening batters in international cricket.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Rohit Gurunath Sharma [1]ICC was born on Thursday, 30 April 1987 (age 37 years; as of 2024) in Bansod, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. His zodiac sign is Taurus. He grew up in Borivali, Mumbai, where he was raised by his grandparents and uncles as his father’s low income was not sufficient to run the family.
He attended Our Lady of Vailankanni High School, Mumbai, and Swami Vivekanand International School and Junior College, Mumbai.
After he passed his 12th board exams, he dropped out of Rizvi College in Mumbai to pursue his cricketing career. [2]The Financial Express
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 9″
Weight (approx.): 75 Kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Body Measurements (approx.): Chest: 40″, Waist: 34″, Biceps: 12″
Family
Parents & Siblings
Rohit Sharma’s father, Gurunath Sharma, worked as a caretaker of a transport firm storehouse. His mother, Purnima Sharma, belongs to Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
He has a younger brother named Vishal Sharma.
Wife & Children
Rohit Sharma got married to Ritika Sajdeh on 13 December 2015 in Mumbai.
Ritika is a sports manager. They earlier got engaged in June 2015. The couple has a daughter named Samaira (born in 2018).
Relationships/Affairs
Rohit Sharma and Ritika Sajdeh dated each other for six years before marriage. [3]The Indian Express He was also in a rumoured relationship with British model turned-actress Sofia Hayat. [4]Zee News
Religion
Rohit Sharma follows Hinduism. [5]Rohit Sharma – Instagram
Address
He lives in a 4 BHK apartment in Ahuja Towers, Worli, Mumbai.
Signature/Autograph
Career
Coach and Initial Training
When Rohit was 12 years old, his father, after borrowing money from friends, sent him to a cricket camp in Borivali, where Dinesh Lad, a student of Ramakant Achrekar and a former player for Western Railway was coaching. Soon, Lad was impressed with Rohit’s off-spin, and he enrolled Rohit at Swami Vivekanand International School on a scholarship, where Rohit won many games with his off-spin for the school.
One day, Lad noticed Rohit’s batting potential while Rohit was doing shadow practice in the nets, and he promoted him to the opening position from number eight. Although Rohit was omitted from the Under-16 selection trial, he earned the title of Player of the Tournament during Mumbai’s selection trials. He scored a century as an opener in his debut Harris and Giles Shield school cricket tournament.
Later, Vasoo Paranjape, a former Indian cricketer and coach, played a crucial role in securing a place for Rohit not only in the U-17 squad but also in the playing XI. By 2004, Rohit had become Mumbai’s rising star. Pravin Amre, the chief junior selector at the time, after being convinced by Paranjape to watch Rohit bat in a local match, helped Rohit get a cricket scholarship. [6]Sportstar
Domestic and List A
In March 2005, Rohit Sharma made his List A debut for West Zone against Central Zone in the Deodhar Trophy at Gwalior; he scored 31 not out. His breakthrough performance came in the same tournament against North Zone at the Maharanna Bhupal College Ground in Udaipur in which he scored 142 in 123 balls.
In August 2024, the BCCI selected Rohit Sharma along with Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, and Kuldeep Yadav to play in the Duleep Trophy ahead of the test series with Bangladesh.
First Class and Ranji
In July 2006, he made his First Class debut for India A against New Zealand A at Darwin; he scored 57 runs in the first innings, and 22 runs in the second innings. He made his Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai against Gujarat in the 2006–07 season, scoring 205 off 267 balls. His highest Ranji score of 309 not out came in a match against Gujarat in December 2009. In October 2013, after the retirement of Ajit Agarkar, Rohit Sharma became the captain of the Mumbai Ranji team.
In August 2024, the BCCI selected Rohit Sharma along with Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, and Kuldeep Yadav to play in the Duleep Trophy ahead of the test series with Bangladesh.
International Debut
Format | Opponent | Venue | Date | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
ODI | Ireland | Civil Service Cricket Club | 23 June 2007 | Did not bat |
Test | West Indies | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 6 November 2013 | 177 |
T20I | England | Kingsmead | 19 September 2007 | Did not bat |
International Retirement
On 30 June 2024, he announced his retirement from T20I.
Records
Records | Details |
Most Sixes in international cricket | 556 in 453 matches |
Most 100s in ODI World Cup | 7 |
Most 100s in single edition of ODI World Cup | 5 (2019 World Cup) |
Most 200s in ODIs | 3 |
Highest individual score in ODIs | 264 from 173 balls against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens on 13 November 2014 |
Most runs by boundaries in ODI innings | 186 runs during his 264-run innings against Sri Lanka in 2014 |
Most runs in ODIs in a calendar year | 1,490 runs in 2019 |
Most centuries in T20I cricket | 5 |
First Indian batter to hit 500 sixes in T20 matches | Achieved the feat on 14 April 2024 in an IPL match against Chennai Superkings |
First cricketer to hit 600 sixes in T20I matches | Achieved the feat on 5 June 2024 in a T20 World Cup match against Ireland |
Most runs in T20I as a captain | Broke Babar Azam's record on 5 June 2024 in a T20 World Cup match against Ireland |
Fastest to score 4000 runs in T20I | Achieved the feat on 5 June 2024 in a T20 World Cup match against Ireland |
Most successful Indian captain in T20I | Broke MS Dhoni's record on 5 June 2024 in a T20 World Cup match against Ireland |
Fastest 50 by an Indian batter against Australia in T20I | 19 Balls |
First Indian captain to score a fifty in a T20 World Cup knockout match | Against England in the 2024 T20 World Cup |
IPL
In 2008, he was bought by the Deccan Chargers franchise at the IPL auctions. In 2011, he was sold to the Mumbai Indians. Under his captainship, the Mumbai Indians won the tournament in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. His only IPL century came in the 2012 season when he scored 109 (not out) against the Kolkata Knight Riders. [7]The Hindu In 2024, he was released as the Captain of the Mumbai Indians, making Hardik Pandya the new captain of the team. On 27 March 2024, he played his 200th IPL match for Mumbai Indians, becoming the first player to do so.
Controversies
Fined for overspeeding
In October 2023, the Pune traffic authorities issued three penalties to Rohit Sharma for exceeding the speed limits on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Reports indicate that Sharma surpassed the 200 kmph speed limit, with his speed occasionally reaching 215 kmph. [8]India Today
Double super over controversy
In January 2024, in the third and final T20I against Afghanistan in Bengaluru, a high-voltage drama took place when Rohit Sharma returned to the crease during the second Super Over after being retired out in the first Super Over. As per the Super Over rule, once a batter is retired out, they cannot return to play. While talking about the controversy, Afghanistan’s Karim Janat, who played in the match, said,
We didn’t know much about that. Our management talked to the umpires. Rohit came out to bat, but we learned later that he shouldn’t have been allowed to do that. Even if you were retired out, you can’t come to bat again.” [9]Hindustan Times
Accused Star Sports of leaking his private conversation
On 19 May 2024, Rohit Sharma accused Star Sports of broadcasting his private conversation with Kolkata Knight Riders’ Abhishek Nayar that both had on 16 May 2024. A video clip of this conversation was later shared by KKR on social media in which Rohit was seen requesting the broadcaster not to record their audio. On 20 May 2024, Star Sports released a statement regarding the issue and said that they only aired the clip in which Rohit was requesting to stop recording their audio, and no such video clip of their conversation was aired on the channel. [10]The Hindu
Row with Inzamam-ul-Haq over ball-tampering allegations
After a T20 World Cup match between India and Australia in June 2024, Inzamam-ul-Haq claimed that the 15th over bowled by Arshdeep Singh was not usual as he felt it was unreal to see the ball reverse-swinging. While responding to his allegations, Rohit Sharma said he should use his brain to which Inamam replied and said Rohit was no one to teach him about reverse-swinging. [11]Hindustan Times
Awards
- Selected by Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year – 2022
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna – 2020
- ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year – 2019
- Arjuna Award – 2015
Car Collection
Rohit Sharma has a collection of swanky cars including a Lamborghini Urus (Rs 4.18 crore), a BMW M5 (Formula One Edition that cost around Rs 1.73 crore), a Mercedes GLS 400d (Rs 1.29 crore), a BMW X3, a Toyota Fortuner, and a Skoda Laura. [12]Outlook
Salary
With an A+ contract with the BCCI, Rohit Sharma received a salary of Rs 7 crore for the 2022–2023 season. He receives Rs 6 lakh for an ODI match, Rs 3 lakh for a T20 International match, and Rs 15 lakh for a Test cricket match. In the 2024 IPL auctions, he was retained by the Mumbai Indian for Rs 16 crore.
Assets & Properties
He owns an ultra-luxurious 4 BHK apartment worth Rs. 30 crore on the 29th floor of the Ahuja Towers in Worli, Mumbai. He owns a mansion in Hyderabad worth Rs. 5 crore. [13]Outlook
Investments
He has made investments worth Rs. 88.6 crore in two companies, Rapidobotics, a Robotic automation solutions provider company, and Veiroots Wellness Solutions, a healthcare company. He publicly holds three stocks worth around Rs. 7.6 crore. [14]Outlook
Net Worth
In 2023, his net worth was estimated around to be Rs 214 crore. [15]Outlook
Favourites
- Batter(s): Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag
- Bowler: Harbhajan Singh
- Tennis Player: Roger Federer
- Clothing Brand: Diesel
- Food: Aloo Parantha, Eggs
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Actor(s): Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan
- Actresses: Kareena Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone, Megan Fox, Blake Lively
- Bollywood Film(s): Veer-Zara, Hera Pheri, Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander, Border
- Hollywood Film(s): The Avengers, Iron Man, The Dark Night Rises
- Film Director(s): David Dhawan, Priyadarshan, Imtiaz Ali, James Cameron
- Song(s): “Tere Liye Hum Hai Jiye” from the film Veer-Zaara (2004), “Started From The Bottom” by Drake
- Car: Aston Martin
- Hotel: Long Beach Golf & Spa Resort, Mauritius
- Travel Destination: New York
FactsTrivia
- His favourite shot is “pull,” and his favourite batting drill is ‘straight down the ground.’
- Rohit Sharma follows an eggetarian diet. According to his coach Dinesh Lad, Rohit would often visit his home to have his favourite half-fried eggs as non-vegetarian food was banned at Rohit’s home back then. Lad once recalled a night when Rohit and three others ate more than 60 eggs at his home. Lad said,
You won’t believe it. That night, Rohit, his brother, my son Siddhesh, and another boy—four of them—gulped more than 60 eggs. I was tired of cooking, but it was worth it.” [16]Sportstar
- When he made his Test debut in November 2013, it was Sachin Tendulkar‘s farewell series.
- Many brands including CEAT and the Swiss watchmaker Hublot have sponsored him.
- He has endorsed various brands including Maggi, Fair and Lovely, Lay’s, Nissan, energy drink Relentless, Nasivion nasal spray, Aristocrat by VIP Industries, Adidas, and Oppo mobiles.
- Rohit is nicknamed as RO and Shana. It was Zaheer Khan who nicknamed him Shana. [17]CrickTracker – Instagram
- Rohit Sharma is known for his attacking batting and six-hitting abilities due to which he is often referred to as “Hitman.” [18]The Times of India
- Sunil Gavaskar once compared Rohit’s batting style to those of Virender Sehwag and Viv Richards.
- Although he is not a regular bowler, he can bowl right arm off spin.
- His favourite fielding position is in the slips.
- Rohit Sharma actively supports various animal welfare campaigns. WWF-India made him its official Rhino Ambassador in 2018. He is also a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
- In September 2015, Rohit Sharma, along with Hollywood actors Matt LeBlanc and Salma Hayek, became part of an anti-poaching campaign in Kenya to save the wild animals of Africa including the last surviving northern white rhinoceros. [19]The Economic Times
- In 2017, during a chit-chat with Gaurav Kapur on YouTube, Virat Kohli revealed that Rohit Sharma had a habit of forgetting and misplacing things. Kohli said,
The number of things Rohit Sharma forgets, I have never seen anyone else being this forgetful. iPad, wallet, phone, not the small things, but things for daily use. He (Rohit Sharma) has forgotten his passport two or three times. It was very hard to retrieve it.” [20]Hindustan Times
- His mother tongue is Telugu. He once said,
Yes, my mother tongue is Telugu…my mom is from Vizag.”
Captain Ro Hyderabad వచ్చెసాడు! 💙#OneFamily #MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #IPL2023 #TATAIPL @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/LbDgfbrV19
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 17, 2023
- Rohit is an ardent follower of Lord Ganesha, and he never misses to pay a visit to the Siddhivinayak Temple before any tour.
- In an interview, Rohit revealed that he once bunked his school to meet Virender Sehwag.
- He is a football lover and follows the Real Madrid Football Club.
- Rohit is notorious for his sleeping habits.
- After winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, his gesture of eating a few strands of grass from the pitch in Barbados went viral.
References