Rohit Sharma set to play his 200th Ind T20 League game

Mumbai stalwart and former skipper Rohit Sharma will be playing his 200th fixture in the league for his franchise on Wednesday, when he takes the field against Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. 

Hyderabad and Mumbai will square off in match number 8 of the Indian T20 League 2024. Both teams began their 2024 campaign with narrow defeats of four and six runs to Kolkata and Gujarat respectively. 

Rohit has been one of the icons for the Mumbai franchise. Since joining the club as an up and coming prospect back in 2011, Rohit has made 199 appearances for the men in blue and gold, amassing 5,084 runs at an average of 29.39 and a strike rate of 129.86. He has registered a century and 34 fifties in 195 innings for Mumbai, with the highest score of 109*.

After taking over the captaincy responsibility from Ricky Ponting in 2013, Rohit led Mumbai to their golden period, clinching the trophy five times in 10 years (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020) and advancing through the playoffs twice. Hardik Pandya replaced him at the helm after making a lucrative move to the franchise that made him a superstar following two years with Gujarat, including the triumphant season in 2022. 

Rohit has also tasted Champions League glory with Mumbai in 2011 and 2013, the latter as a skipper. The flamboyant opener is Mumbai’s all-time leading run scorer, mounting 5,357 runs in 208 matches and 204 innings at an average of 29.59 and a strike rate of nearly 130, with a ton and 35 half centuries in 204 innings. 

Started as a youngster, Rohit also represented the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, an old Hyderabad franchise from 2008-2010. He scored 1,170 runs at an average of 30.79 and a strike rate of almost 131 in 45 matches with a high score of 76*. He won his maiden Ind T20 League title with the Deccan Chargers in 2009. 

Hitman is also the fourth highest run getter in Ind T20 League history, compiling 6,254 runs in 244 matches at an average of 29.63 and a strike rate of 130.15. He notched a century and 42 fifties in 239 innings, with the highest score of 109*. 

Rohit, who has been a prominent figure in leading MI for a considerable period, can be considered an influential figure in his own right. Under his guidance, MI has played a significant role in shaping the career paths of numerous aspiring Indian talents, including Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Ambati Rayadu, and many others.