Rohit Sharma (BCCI/IPL Photo) Rohit Sharma etched another milestone in his storied Indian Premier League (IPL) career, becoming only the second player to cross 7000 runs in the tournament. He achieved the feat during a fluent knock of 81 off 50 balls in the high-stakes Eliminator against Gujarat Titans at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Friday.The former Mumbai Indians captain led from the front, standing firm against Gujarat’s bowling unit. With this achievement, he joined Virat Kohli as the only players in IPL history to surpass the 7000-run mark.Rohit’s innings was a fine display of his aggressive flair, peppered with nine fours and four sixes. However, it wasn’t a flawless effort, as Gujarat Titans dropped him twice—errors that proved costly.His first reprieve came when he was on 3, mistiming a pull off Gerald Coetzee only for the South African pacer to put down a straightforward chance in the deep. Just an over later, Rohit edged a delivery from Mohammed Siraj, but Kusal Mendis failed to hold on behind the stumps.Nicknamed ‘The Hitman’, Rohit capitalised on those lifelines, punishing Sai Kishore with two boundaries and a towering six. Alongside Jonny Bairstow, he helped Mumbai Indians post 79 without loss in the powerplay—their highest powerplay score in IPL playoff history.He brought up the 7000-run milestone in style, sweeping Rashid Khan over the boundary for six in the ninth over. That maximum also saw him complete 300 sixes in the IPL. Rohit reached his 47th IPL half-century soon after, getting to the mark in 28 balls with a four off Kishore.
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Since debuting in 2008 with the Deccan Chargers, Rohit has been a cornerstone of the league. He won his first IPL title with the Chargers in 2009, before joining Mumbai Indians in 2011 and leading them to five championships. He has now amassed over 7000 runs from 271 matches, maintaining an average close to 30.Rohit’s innings finally came to an end when he miscued a slower ball from Prasidh Krishna, sending it high towards midwicket where Rashid Khan safely completed the catch. Despite missing out on a century, his powerful knock had already left a lasting impact on the game.
