Rohit Sharma slams joint fastest T20I century off 35 balls

Sports Desk: Rohit Sharma scored his second T20I century off just 35 balls as India piled on the misery on the Sri Lankan bowlers during the second T20 at the Holkar in Indore.

This is the second fastest century in the shortest format of the game. He equaled the record of David Miller, who achieved the feat against Bangladesh at Potchefstroom in October 2017.

The Mumbai dasher brought up his second T20 ton on the 12th over of the bowling off Angelo Mathews with a boundary.

His whirlwind of an innings ended when he fell for 118 off just 43 balls to Dushmantha Chameera  in the 12th over. This was the fastest hundred by an Indian batsman in the format. The previous one was held by KL Rahul off 46 balls against West Indies in 2016 at Lauderhill.

The Hit-man blasted 10 sixes and 12 fours in his innings.

The 30-year-old came out all guns blazing and started attacking the bowlers right from the word go. He took 20 runs off the ninth over of the innings, hammering Asela Gunaratne all around the park for two sixes and fours each. He brought up his fifty in the same over with a maximum over deep mid-wicket. He took just 23 balls to reach the landmark.

And there was no stopping him after that. He went on a rampage and finally brought up his second century in T20 cricket.

Earlier, he scored a historic third double hundred as India continued to be ruthless against Sri Lanka in the second of the three-match series vs Sri Lanka in Mohali.

Rohit was the only man to score more than one double hundred in ODIs. Four other batsmen - Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle and Martin Guptill - have only one each.

On November 13, 2014, Rohit had set a world record for the highest individual score in ODIs with a scintillating 264 at the Eden Gardens against Sri Lanka. He had scored his maiden ODI double hundred against Australia the previous year.

Source: Agencies

risingbd/Dhaka/December 22, 2017/A K Azad