Rohit’s journey to becoming a cricket star wasn’t easy. Born on April 30, 1987, in Bansod, Nagpur, he grew up with his grandparents and uncle because his parents struggled financially. His father, Gurunath Sharma, worked as a caretaker at a transport company’s warehouse, and his mother, Purnima Sharma, is from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Despite the distance, Rohit would visit his parents once a week. He lived with his family in a small one-room house in Dombivli.
A Chance to Shine
Rohit’s uncle played a huge role in his cricket career. He took Rohit to a cricket academy and supported him financially. In 1999, Rohit joined a cricket camp funded by his uncle. Coach Dinesh Lad saw Rohit’s potential and advised him to switch to Swami Vivekanand International School, which had better facilities. Rohit was hesitant due to the cost, but Lad helped him secure a scholarship.
At first, Rohit was an off-spinner who could bat a bit. Lad recognized his batting talent and encouraged him to open the innings. Rohit made a strong impression in the Harris and Giles Shield school cricket tournament, scoring a century on his debut as an opener.
Breaking into Domestic Cricket
Rohit’s professional cricket debut was in the Deodhar Trophy in March 2005, playing for West Zone. He batted eighth and scored 31 not out. In July 2006, he made his first-class debut for India A against New Zealand A.
Rohit started playing for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy during the 2006-07 season. In his debut match against Gujarat, he scored 205 runs off 267 balls. Across his career, Rohit has played 129 first-class matches, scoring 9,318 runs, 344 List A matches with 13,410 runs, and 457 T20 matches with 12,070 runs.
Rising to International Stardom
Rohit’s international debut was in 2007, starting with an ODI against Ireland. Later that year, he played his first T20 against England. It took six more years for him to make his Test debut.
Rohit has participated in 67 Tests, 273 ODIs, and 159 T20Is. His runs tally stands at 4,301 in Tests, 11,168 in ODIs, and 4,231 in T20Is. Across all formats, Rohit has hit 49 centuries.