Rohit, however, was not able to convert the early start into a big innings as he got out in the ninth over off Kyle Jamieson’s ball. He scored 26 runs off 29 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes.
Rohit has now hit 329 sixes as an opener in ODIs, surpassing West Indies great Chris Gayle, who has 328 maximums to his name. The Indian star had already broken Shahid Afridi’s record for the most sixes in ODI cricket last year during the South Africa series.
Rohit was in great touch last year as well. The right-hander slammed 650 runs in 14 ODI innings from as many matches, with one not out. His personal best was 121 not out. He is currently the number one batter in the ICC rankings.
Speaking of the match, after winning the toss, India elected to field first. New Zealand got off to a confident start as openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls laid a strong foundation. Their 100-plus stand put the Indian attack under sustained pressure.
India, however, responded well as the innings progressed, tightening their lines and striking at key moments to wrest back control. Regular wickets in the middle overs slowed New Zealand’s momentum and prevented them from fully capitalising on the platform provided by the openers. Despite the resistance, Daryl Mitchell played a crucial role in holding the innings together, as the visitors ended up scoring 300 for eight in their 50 overs.