5 records Rohit Sharma could break in IND vs SA 2025 ODIs

Former Indian skipper Rohit Sharma will be back in action when India take on South Africa in the opening ODI in Ranchi on Sunday, November 30. The 38-year-old made a statement of epic proportions in his first series after being replaced as the ODI captain in the recent tour of Australia. After missing out on a big score in the opening ODI, Rohit recorded scores of 73 and 121* despite India's 1-2 series defeat.

With his already incredible ODI numbers, Rohit is often on the verge of breaking some or the other record each time he steps onto the field. The upcoming South African series will be no different as the legendary right-hander is on the precipice of several noteworthy milestones.

On that note, let us look at five notable records Rohit Sharma can break in the upcoming three-match ODI series against the Proteas.

#1 Most ODI sixes

Rohit Sharma is renowned for his ability to smash maximums at will, especially in his favorite 50-over format. The champion batter is currently second all-time in ODI sixes with 349 in 276 outings.

Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi holds the all-time record with 351 maximums in ODIs. With three ODIs on potentially excellent batting surfaces on offer in the upcoming South African series, Rohit will almost certainly smash three sixes to go atop the list for maximum ODI biggies.

Indian fans will hope their former skipper achieves the same in the series opener, which will almost guarantee a big score and a match-winning knock.

#2 A home run-scoring milestone to savor

Despite boasting some of the most accomplished ODI batters in cricket history, only two Indians have scored 5,000 runs at home in the format. While the legendary Sachin Tendulkar leads the chart with 6,976 runs in ODIs in India, his successor, Virat Kohli, is second with 6,325 runs.

Rohit Sharma is third on the list with 4,867 runs in home ODIs in 94 outings. The veteran needs only another 133 runs to become the third Indian to scale 5000 runs in ODIs at home.

Considering he boasts an impressive average of over 57 in ODIs in India with 14 centuries, the upcoming three-match series against South Africa should see him through to the incredible 5,000-run mark in home ODIs.

#3 In sight of a historic milestone across formats

Scoring 20,000 international runs is no mean feat, as only 13 batters have ever achieved this milestone. Rohit Sharma is currently on 19,902 runs across formats and needs less than 100 runs to become the 14th batter ever to scale 20,000 runs.

He will also become only the fourth Indian to reach the milestone after Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid. With three matches opening the batting, Rohit is potentially only one big score away from reaching the illustrious 20,000-run mark in his international career.

#4 A cherishable century record at home

Rohit Sharma is the only batter in ODI history with three double centuries, all coming in home conditions. Yet, little known is the fact that the right-hander boasts an incredible 14 ODI tons in India.

He is currently joint-third all-time among batters with the most ODI centuries at home, along with Hashim Amla. Only Virat Kohli (24) and Sachin Tendulkar (20) have more home ODI centuries than Rohit.

With a three-figure score in one of the three South African ODIs, Rohit will become the third all-time for ODI centuries at home.

#5 An all-time Indian record as an opener

It is hard to find an opener more accomplished than Rohit Sharma in international cricket history. Lest we forget, the now-38-year-old started his career in the middle-order before moving to the top at the start of the 2013 season.

However, he hasn't looked back since, breaking several records for fun as an opener. Rohit is currently joint-second all-time, along with Tendulkar, for centuries as an opener across formats in international cricket with 45.

With one three-figure score in the South African series, the former skipper will become the leading centurion as an opener among Indian batters. He will also become the sole holder of the second position in the category behind only Australian legend David Warner (49).