Rohit Sharma became the first player to score five centuries in one edition of a World Cup. India’s vice-captain achieved the feat during the match against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday. He also completed a hat-trick of hundreds in the marquee 50-over tournament.
India bowled first and restricted Sri Lanka to 264/7 in 50 overs after the experienced Angelo Mathews scored a fine 113 off 128. Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers for India, with figures of 3/37 from 10 overs.
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In reply, India got a mammoth partnership for the first wicket as Sharma and KL Rahul took the Lankan bowlers to task. In the process, Sharma notched up his 27th ton in One-Day Internationals. He got there in just 92 balls and perished a little later for 103 off 94, with India’s score being 189/1 in 30.1 overs.
This was the 32-year-old’s fifth hundred of the ongoing World Cup. He had started the tournament with an unbeaten 122 against South Africa and has carried on his stellar form.
In India’s third match, Sharma got a match-winning 140 against arch rivals Pakistan. And in the last two games against England and Bangladesh, he got scores of 102 and 104 respectively.
Ahead of India’s match against and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan was the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 606 runs. Sharma’s effort on Saturday took him past that tally and gave him the top position in that list.
Kumar Sangakkara is second on the list of most centuries in one World Cup. The Lankan great had hit four in the 2015 edition.