NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma added another remarkable chapter to his glittering career on Saturday, becoming only the second Indian opener after Virender Sehwag to score 16,000 international runs across formats.The landmark came during the first ODI against Afghanistan in Dharamsala, with the veteran batter needing just six runs to enter the exclusive club. Rohit reached the milestone in his 384th innings for India, having accumulated 15,994 runs as an opener before the start of the game.The achievement places the former India captain among some of the greatest openers in cricket history. Overall, Rohit became only the seventh batter to cross the 16,000-run mark as an opener in international cricket.Joining an elite group of opening greatsRohit now stands alongside legendary names such as Sanath Jayasuriya, Chris Gayle, David Warner, Graeme Smith, Desmond Haynes and Sehwag. Sri Lankan great Jayasuriya tops the chart with 19,298 runs, followed by Gayle (18,867) and Warner (18,744).Sehwag remains India’s most prolific opener with 16,119 runs in 400 innings across 332 matches. Rohit’s milestone is all the more remarkable considering that batting icon Sachin Tendulkar, despite scoring over 34,000 international runs overall, amassed 15,335 runs as an opener and narrowly missed the 16,000-run club.Before the Afghanistan ODI, Rohit had scored 11,577 runs in 282 ODIs, 4,301 runs in 67 Tests and 4,231 runs in 159 T20Is, the latter two formats from which he has since retired.Another milestone falls in DharamsalaThe day brought another notable achievement for the former Indian captain. When Rohit reached three runs in the innings, he surpassed South African legend Jacques Kallis‘ ODI tally of 11,579 runs.Kallis accumulated his runs in 328 ODIs between 1996 and 2014, while Rohit moved past him in his 283rd one-day international. Rohit is now at 8th spot in the all-time list led by Tendulkar with 18,246 runs.Having already established himself as one of the most destructive white-ball batters of his generation, Rohit’s latest feat further cemented his place among the game’s all-time greats.Even after retiring from Tests and T20Is, the 39-year-old continues to scale new heights, with his consistency and longevity ensuring that records keep tumbling in Indian colours.
