Under the stellar leadership of Rohit Sharma, who scored a rapid 131 off 84 balls, India cruised past Afghanistan’s 272, securing a win with 90 balls to spare.
Sharma’s commanding presence at the crease, marked by his signature blend of audacity and poise, saw him hit 16 fours and five sixes at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Afghanistan’s captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, may have felt outnumbered as Sharma masterfully manipulated his team’s field placements and bowling strategies.
Virat Kohli (55*) and Shreyas Iyer (25*) wrapped up the chase, which was initially set in motion by the opening partnership of Sharma and Ishan Kishan (47), who contributed 156 in 18.4 overs.
Rashid Khan (2/57 off eight overs) was the only Afghan bowler to make a dent, while four of his teammates conceded eight runs per over or more.
Sharma’s outstanding performance earned him the unanimous Player of the Match award, as India joined New Zealand and Pakistan as the teams with two wins from two matches in the tournament.
Sharma’s Century in 63 Balls: A New Indian Record
Sharma’s century, achieved in just 63 balls, is the fastest by an Indian player in a Cricket World Cup, breaking Kapil Dev’s 40-year-old record. Dev had scored his century in 72 balls against Zimbabwe at the Nevill Ground in Tunbridge Wells, England, eventually scoring 175* off 138 balls with 22 boundaries.
Fastest to 1000 World Cup Runs: Sharma Equals Warner’s Record
Sharma joined Australian opener David Warner as the joint-fastest batsmen to reach 1000 Cricket World Cup runs, achieving this feat in just 19 innings. Warner had reached this milestone earlier in the tournament during a match between India and Australia in Chennai.
Sharma’s 31st ODI Century: Surpasses Ponting’s Record
With his 31st ODI century, Sharma surpassed Ricky Ponting to take the third spot in the list of most ODI centuries. Only his teammate, Virat Kohli (47), and Sachin Tendulkar (49) are ahead of Sharma after his impressive performance in Delhi.
556 Sixes: Sharma Overtakes Gayle’s Record
Sharma’s five sixes in Delhi took his total to 556 sixes across all formats of international cricket, surpassing previous record-holder Chris Gayle. Sharma achieved this feat in nearly 80 fewer innings across formats (472).
Sharma: The Only World Cup 2023 Captain to Score a Century
As of now, Rohit Sharma is the only captain in the 2023 Cricket World Cup to have scored a century.