Over 10,000 turn up, stadium echoes with chants for Rohit Sharma!
North Indian city, Jaipur, was draped in ‘blue’ as more than 10 thousand cricket lovers thronged at the Swai Mansingh Stadium on Wednesday morning with roaring chants of ‘Mumbai Cha Raja’ to watch Rohit Sharma. The former India captain returned to the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s premier domestic 50-over competition, after a gap of seven years. He turned out for Mumbai, who were taking on Sikkim in a first-round fixture of the tournament in Jaipur. With the state association announcing free entry, thousands of fans queued up outside the stadium well before the scheduled start of play on Wednesday. Even before the Mumbai team bus arrived at the venue, a few thousand supporters had already taken their seats, eager to cheer one of the most successful ODI batters the country has produced. It was a rare opportunity for fans to watch Rohit up close. With no live television or streaming coverage for the Mumbai–Sikkim contest, cricket lovers in the city were keen not to miss the moment. Rohit acknowledged the affection of the crowd, taking time to wave whenever he found himself fielding near the boundary ropes as Sikkim won the toss and elected to bat first. He was stationed in the slip cordon in the beginning as the atmosphere at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium took on the feel of an international fixture. But later on, “Mumbai cha Raja, Rohit Sharma” chants compelled the former Indian captain to place him on the boundary so that the fans could watch him from close. Two stands were initially opened for the fans to watch Rohit Sharma, but today the crowd grew so large that all the remaining stands had to be opened as well.
Rohit Sharma is on the verge of a ‘big milestone’; set to become the first batsman to hit 650 sixes in international cricket
Ahead of the ODI series against South Africa, Rohit Sharma is on the verge of a big career milestone, heading towards entering 20 thousand runs in international cricket and becoming the first batsman to hit 650 sixes. So far, he has garnered 19,902 runs in 502 matches across all formats, backed by 50 centuries and 109 fifties. Rohit, 38-year-old, is set to become only the 14th batsman in history to achieve this landmark, joining an elite list that already features Indian greats such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid. He will have his first opportunity to get there when India take the field in the series opener on Sunday, 30th November at the JSCA Stadium International Complex in Ranchi. Simultaneously, the former Indian captain is also on the brink of creating another significant milestone, becoming the first batsman to smash 650 sixes in international cricket. He has so far hit 642 sixes and needs just eight more maximums to set a new benchmark. No other batsman has even crossed 600 sixes. West Indian star Chris Gayle is in second position in the list as he has hit 553 sixes from 483 matches. All eyes will be on Rohit in the upcoming ODI series, as this will be his first home assignment since February this year. He enters the series in fine form after an impressive outing against Australia, where he amassed 202 runs at an exceptional average of 101.00. His standout moment came in the third ODI, where he smashed an unbeaten 121 off 125 balls, reaffirming his status as one of India’s most reliable and explosive performers.
