Summary of this article
Rohit Sharma has led Mumbai Indian to five IPL titles in the IPL
Sharma is the second highest scorer in IPL with 7,046 runs
He has won the IPL six times as a player, one with Deccan Chargers and five times with Mumbai Indians
Rohit Sharma, also known as 'Shana' (street-smart) locally, is one of the most loved personalities in the cricketing circle. His tactical brilliance and resourcefulness make him one of the most successful captains of IPL history to date.
He has led the Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles in 11 seasons as a captain, making his stand next to the great MS Dhoni in terms of trophy wins. Along with his captaincy brilliance, what makes him one of the IPL greats is his elegant shot-making and the ability to turn the match on its head.
Along with his title list as captain, Rohit has amassed 7,046 runs in the IPL, making him the 2nd highest scorer in the league history after Virat Kohli (8661).
Deccan Chargers Days
After so many years, Rohit Sharma is associated with the Mumbai Indians, but the dashing opener started his IPL career with the Deccan Chargers. Though he was quite young at that age and didn't open, he still managed to leave an everlasting impact on cricket fans with his sumptuous stroke play.
Rohit Sharma scored 1170 runs for the Deccan Chargers in 45 matches at an average of 30.78 and a strike rate of 130, playing a crucial role in their title-winning campaign in 2009. Even at the start of his career, he used to stand out among others and was touted as the next big thing by many cricket pundits.
The Beginning Of An Era
In the 2011 mega IPL auction, Rohit Sharma was roped in by the Mumbai Indians (MI), and it marked the beginning of a partnership that's still ongoing. He became a part of a dressing room that had the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Harbhajan Singh in its ranks.
Despite having a star-studded team, MI was going through a topsy-turvy period. Though they had won a Champions League title in 2011, the IPL trophy still eluded them.
But 2013 turned out to be the season that changed MI's fortunes. The season had a mixed start, and they have three out of the first six games under the leadership of Australian legend, Ricky Ponting. Then the MI management decided to hand the reins of the franchise into the hands of a young Rohit Sharma, who sculptured a new destiny for them.
Rohit led them to their maiden title win in the same year by beating MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in the final, and from there, MI didn't look back. From there, in a span of eight years, Mumbai went on to win five IPL titles - joint highest with CSK.
Rohit Sharma Captaincy Record (IPL)
Matches: 158
Won: 87
Lost: 67
Win %: 55.06%
IPL Titles: 5
Five-Time IPL Titles To World Cup Glory
Rohit Sharma's success as captain in the IPL opened his doors to become India's all-format captain. His credentials spoke for him, and when he got the opportunity, he took it with both hands.
He led India to the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-finals and 2023 ODI World Cup final. Though India fell short of clinching the trophy, Rohit's style of captaincy impressed many, especially during the 2023 World Cup, where under his leadership, the team dominated the entire tournament, barring that one final against Australia.
He was eventually handed the reins of the Indian team again in the 2024 T20 World in the USA and the West Indies. This time, he took the team over the line and ended India's ICC trophy drought after 11 years. The next year, he backed it up by winning the Champions Trophy in the UAE, which ended his captaincy tenure with five IPL and two ICC trophies.
Rohit Sharma is at the fag end of his cricketing career and is enjoying the IPL as a player. However, his contribution in making the league the behemoth it is today is immense and will surely be counted among IPL legends in the times to come.
