Glenn McGrath Picks Rohit Sharma Over Sachin Tendulkar, Ranks Virat Kohli as Best ODI Batter Ever

Glenn McGrath's top-five pick of Rohit Sharma over legends like Gautam Gambhir, Mohammad Azharuddin, and Shikhar Dhawan, has stunned fans.

Glenn McGrath Picks Rohit Sharma Over Sachin Tendulkar, Ranks Virat Kohli as Best ODI Batter Ever

Glenn McGrath picked his best five Indian ODI batter, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar. (via NDTV Sports)

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Australian cricket legend Glenn McGrath shared his picks for the top five Indian ODI batters of all time, making some surprising selections. McGrath stunned everyone by naming Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as his top two, leaving aside ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar. 

Speaking on a YouTube channel named ‘Fast Bowling Cartel’, Glenn McGrath charted out his top picks for the best Indian ODI batters of all time. He first went ahead by picking the greatest Indian ODI batter of all time, naming Virat Kohli on top, with it being the second time in a week that the 36-year-old ace Indian batter has been praised by former players, with ex-India pacer Zaheer Khan having also lauded Kohli.

Kohli’s position is a testament of his impressive run-scoring record in the 50-over format, with 14,255 runs in 305 ODIs, including 75 half-centuries and 51 centuries. Next up, Glenn McGrath picked Rohit Sharma at number two. The Australian cricketing icon shed light on Sharma’s record of having hit three double hundreds in ODIs, as well as a career-best individual score of 264 runs, the world record in ODIs.

McGrath had previously suggested that the two batters failed to perform due to the lack of game time. However, once the duo returned to form in the third ODI in Sydney, the 55-year-old former pacer noted that the two veteran stars shook off the initial rust and lack of rhythm by ‘assaulting’ the Australian bowlers. Their form also offered a reassurance for India’s plans in the run-up to the 2027 World Cup.

There was a lot of talk going into the match about the two greats, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They’ve not had a lot of cricket under their belt.

However, McGrath left out the player whom he shared a rivalry with during his playing days, Sachin Tendulkar. It was surprising that the Australian legend picked Tendulkar at no. 3, behind Sharma and Kohli, despite Tendulkar being the only player to score over 3,000 runs in ODIs against the Australian side. Tendulkar’s also stands as the all-time highest run-getter in the format with 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83. 

Nonetheless, McGrath completed his list by picking former MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh at no. 4 and 5, respectively. From his selection for the top five Indian ODI batters of all-time, McGrath left out some of his contemporaries, including Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag. 

Rohit Sharma’s coach make major admission about his retirement, following Australia tour

While Rohit Sharma might have proven that he still deserved a spot in the Indian ODI setup after winning the Player of the Series against Australia, questions still loom over whether he will continue playing. Amid uncertainty, Sharma’s childhood coach made an admission about the player. 

Rohit Sharma coach
Rohit Sharma’s childhood coach Dinesh Lad asserted that the player would retire only after the 2027 World Cup. (via Times of India)

Sharma helped the Men in Blue triumph by nine wickets in the final ODI in Sydney. The home side, batting first, had posted a target of 237 runs, with young pacer Harshit Rana scalping a four-wicket haul. The Men in Blue in response, chased down the target in just 38.3 overs, with Sharma and Kohli bringing up a massive 168-run stand for the second wicket, which included Sharma’s 121 runs off 125 balls. 

After the match, the two players spoke to Adam Gilchrist and Ravi Shastri, suggesting that the tour was their last one to Australia, hinting towards possible retirement. Despite the speculation, Sharma’s childhood coach Dinesh Lad asserted that the 38-year-old will play at the 2027 World Cup and will only announce his retirement after that, while highlighting his immense value within the national team setup. 

The way Rohit [Sharma] batted today and how he contributed to India’s win it felt great to watch today’s match. He will play the 2027 ODI World Cup and retire after that.

Lad also spoke about Virat Kohli, brushing aside the unnecessary criticism aimed at the 36-year-old star Indian batter, who endured a rough patch in the two out of the three ODIs against Australia. Lad suggested that Kohli and Sharma can thrive at any point in the world.

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