Rohit Sharma smashes six-hitting record in India’s Cricket World Cup match with Afghanistan

The Indian captain broke Chris Gayle’s record for number of sixes in international cricket

Rohit Sharma broke Chris Gayle’s record (AFP via Getty Images)

Rohit Sharma smashed his way into the history books in front of a sold-out crowd in Delhi, becoming the player with the most sixes across all forms of international cricket.

India hosted Afghanistan in Delhi in the second match of the ICC Cricket World Cup and were set 273 to win, with Sharma opening at the top of the order.

Before the match, Rohit sat second in the list behind Chris Gayle, with 551 to the West Indian’s 553. But Delhi was witness to not one but multiple records from the Indian captain en route to his century.

Rohit beat Kapil Dev’s record for the fastest century for India in World Cups in emphatic fashion. Dev had managed the feat in 72 deliveries, but Rohit needed just 63 to bring up the three figures in a stunning individual performance against Afghanistan.

It was also Rohit’s seventh century in World Cups, the most by any Indian player.

But against Afghanistan he blazed his way to the top spot, as he led from the front, hitting 50 from 30 and leading India into a dominant position against Afghanistan.

The Indian captain has led from the front in the second match after being bowled out for a duck in his side’s opening match of the tournament against Australia, when three of the host nation’s top four batters failed to score a single run.

But at Delhi, India and Rohit starred with the bat, to lay down a marker for what India are capable of, as they moved towards two victories from their opening two matches.

Before the game Rohit had 292 sixes in ODI cricket, but hit four more en route to the triple figures in Delhi.