Overview:
McGrath, while recognising the difference, praised Rohit’s "unbelievable" consistency, underlining the Mumbai batter’s ability to rise to the occasion and turn games in India’s favour.
Glenn McGrath, the legendary Australian pacer, has stirred a debate by placing Rohit Sharma ahead of Sachin Tendulkar in his ranking of the top five Indian ODI batters. While Virat Kohli naturally topped the list, it was McGrath’s bold choice to slot Rohit at number two that surprised many. The great Tendulkar came in at third, followed by MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh. One notable omission from McGrath’s list was the explosive Virender Sehwag, whose aggressive style often made him a fan favourite.
Tendulkar’s 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs are etched in history as one of cricket’s most formidable records. However, Rohit Sharma’s tally of 11,370 runs from 276 matches reflects his own impact in the format. McGrath, while recognising the difference, praised Rohit’s “unbelievable” consistency, underlining the Mumbai batter’s ability to rise to the occasion and turn games in India’s favour.
“Rohit Sharma is my No. 2. His numbers in one-day cricket and the way he plays are simply phenomenal. Three double centuries and the highest score of 264 are almost unimaginable. His consistency across 276 matches and over 11,000 runs is remarkable. It’s a bit unfortunate that he’s sometimes seen as a one-day specialist, because his Test career should have been more prolific, given his class as a player. But I have him at No. 2, and when it comes to No. 1, it’s hard to look beyond Virat Kohli,” he said.
“Just look at the runs he’s accumulated, his average, and his strike rate – it’s unbelievable,” he added.
In a historic feat, Rohit Sharma became the oldest player from India to top the ICC ODI batting rankings. At 38 years and 182 days, the Mumbai opener surged Shubman Gill to become the No.1 batter in the world.