India’s stand-in captain Rohit Sharma on Friday became the highest run-getter in the Twenty20 Internationals, surpassing New Zealand’s Martin Guptill.

India defeated New Zealand by seven wickets in the second Twenty20 international at Auckland’s Eden park on Friday to level the series at 1-1.

New Zealand set India a modest total of 159 and the tourists overhauled it in 18.5 overs, finishing at 162 for three as captain Rohit Sharma top-scored on 50.

All-rounder Krunal Pandya was man of the match, taking three for 28, while New Zealand’s best performer Colin de Grandhomme scored his first T20 half century.

Sharma achieved the feat in style, clobbering leg-spinner Ish Sodhi over the fine-leg boundary for a six during India’s chase of 159 runs in the second Twenty20 International against New Zealand here.

Coming onto the match, Sharma needed just 35 runs to surpass Guptill (2272 runs), who didn’t play Friday’s match and the right-hander slammed a 29-ball 50 before being dismissed.

Sharma (who finished the match with 2288 runs), who achieved the feat in 93 matches, also went past Pakistani all-rounder Shoaib Malik (2263), who is third in the list.

India’s regular captain Virat Kohli (2167 runs) is placed fourth in the chart ahead of former New Zealand wicket-keeper batsman Brendon McCullum (2140).

Sharma, who made his T20I debut in 2007, also became the third player in the history of T20 cricket after Guptill and Chris Gayle to hit 100 sixes.

Here are a list of milestones Rohit Sharma celebrated during his match-winning knock in Auckland.

  • Rohit Sharma also went past MS Dhoni in the list of most sixes hit by an Indian in international cricket.

  • Sharma, who already holds the record for most number of centuries in T20Is and double centuries in ODIs, added another milestone when he reached the half century in Auckland.