Diwali celebrations in Bengaluru started a little early on Sunday as a rampant India raced to 91 runs without losing a wicket in the first powerplay (10 overs) against the Netherlands. Opting to bat first in their final league match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill peppered the stands with sixes and hit fours with abundant joy. (Match Blog | Scores | Full Coverage)
In the process, Rohit also created at least a couple of batting records. The Mumbaikar, who departed after making 61 off 54 balls (eight fours and two sixes) at the time of filing the report, now owns the two massive sixes records:
- The most sixes (24) by a captain in a single edition of the World Cup. Eoin Morgan hit 22 sixes in England's title-winning campaign in 2019. AB de Villiers of South Africa hit 21 in the 2015 edition.
- The most sixes in a calendar year (60 in 2023 in 24 innings). The record previously belonged to AB de Villiers, who hit 58 in 18 innings in 2015. Windies great Chris Gayle hit 56 in 15 innings in 2019.
Rohit, 36, also became the Indian captain with the most runs in a single edition of the World Cup. He now has 503 in nine innings. The previous record belonged to Sourav Ganguly, who scored 465 runs in 2003.
Unblemished after eight matches, India could make history if they beat the Netherlands in their final league stage game, as no team has previously won nine matches in a row in an ODI World Cup. Sri Lanka and Australia came close in 1996 and 2003, respectively, with their respective tournaments culminating in a trophy after eight games.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, could move into eighth place with a surprise triumph - something that they have achieved previously in the tournament over South Africa - and secure a spot in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the expense of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (w), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.
Netherlands: Wesley Barresi, Max ODowd, Colin Ackermann, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekere.
