Rohit Sharma

"Few batsmen in world cricket can thrill as much as marvel the audience as Rohit Sharma can, fewer still have the gift to define a game as he can. As many as 23 of his 30 hundreds in 50-over games have contributed to his team’s victory. His average shoots up to a shade under 60 in matches India has won. An all-format batsman, ODI cricket has harnessed the best of his skills. He took his time to crack the consistency code, but once he did after being promoted to open the innings, he has often been near unstoppable. The runs and big knocks have piled on, as vindicated by his incredible feat of three ODI double hundreds. A pure visual delight when in full flow, Sharma is a programmable six-hitting machine. The pull is his most potent six-striking weapon, but the drives and cuts are more delectable to behold. His captaincy has not soared as high as some might have expected, perhaps because he was measured by the metrics of his success with Mumbai Indians. Besides, a string of injuries and fatigue-induced breaks have limited his appearances. Nonetheless, he is a fine and proven leader of men, and perhaps the safest slip fielder in the team. The latest scion of the Mumbai school of batting, it’s fair to say that he has enriched the city’s grand batting tradition.

One-day memory: (140 against Pakistan at Manchester, World Cup 2019)

All hundreds are equal, but some are more equal than others. Sharma has made 10 bigger scores than this in ODIs, but this was perhaps his most memorable ton. Not just because it came against Pakistan in a World Cup, or that his stroke-play was gorgeous, but because he was mercilessly ruthless. Sample this stat — Pakistan’s bowlers erred on the shorter side 27 times, and he plundered 53 runs. Forget the opponent, and how fondly match-winning performances against arch rivals are remembered, how it spins urban myths, this was one of the greatest World Cup knocks ever played by an Indian batsman against any opponent.

One more thing: A football tragic, his biggest dream is to meet his idol Zinedine Zidane."