After a rigorous year packed with non-stop cricket, several key players from Team India are finally getting the chance to unwind and take a well-earned break. Since the beginning of the year, the Indian cricketers have been constantly on the move, starting with a T20I series against Afghanistan, followed by an exhausting five-Test series against England that stretched from January to March. The transition to the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) was swift, with the tournament running until May. Barely five days after the IPL wrapped up, the players shifted their focus to the highly-anticipated T20 World Cup, where Rohit Sharma’s team emerged victorious, clinching the prestigious title.
After celebrating their World Cup win, the players enjoyed a brief respite, during which a second-string Indian team, captained by Shubman Gill, toured Zimbabwe. The senior squad members then returned to action for the ODI series against Sri Lanka. With that series concluding earlier this month, the Indian team now finds itself in a rare period of inactivity, with no international matches scheduled for over a month. Their next challenge awaits them in a two-Test series against Bangladesh, set to begin on September 19.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma appears to be savoring this well-deserved downtime. Recently, he was spotted driving his sleek Lamborghini through the streets of Mumbai. However, what really caught the attention of fans was the car’s license plate, which ended with ‘0264’. This number holds special significance for Rohit, as it commemorates the time he scored an incredible 264 runs in an ODI against Sri Lanka in 2014—a record that still stands as the highest individual score in the format.
Rohit Sharma’s extraordinary innings of 264 off just 173 balls remains one of the most memorable feats in cricket history. Having been promoted to the opening spot only a year earlier, Rohit quickly made the role his own, consistently delivering explosive starts that became synonymous with his batting style. His monumental knock in Kolkata helped propel India to a formidable total of 404/5, leading the team to a resounding 153-run victory over Sri Lanka.
Nearly a decade later, Rohit has continued to demonstrate his dominance at the crease, adopting an even more aggressive approach during India’s ODI World Cup campaign last year, where the team advanced to the final. His attacking mindset carried seamlessly into the T20 format, playing a pivotal role in India’s triumph at the T20 World Cup in June, where they defeated South Africa in the final to secure the title. Rohit’s ability to switch gears and excel across formats has solidified his place as one of the game’s most formidable openers, with his legacy continuing to grow with each passing season.