The third match to decide the three-match ODI series between India and England will be played on July 19 at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground. In this match, Indian opener Ruht Sharma will have a chance to make two important records in her name.
India won the first match of the series, while England leveled the series with a win in the second ODI. This way the third ODI will decide the winner of the series.
Chance to equal the record of most ODI centuries against England
Ruht Sharma has a chance to equal the record of the batsman who has scored most centuries for India in ODI cricket against England. According to the current statistics, Yuvraj Singh has scored four centuries in ODI matches against England, while Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have three centuries each. If Ruht is successful in scoring a century at Lord’s then he will equal Yuvraj Singh’s record. With this, he will reach the top position in the list of Indian batsmen who have scored most centuries in ODI cricket against England.
The historic ground of Lord’s could become an important opportunity for Ruht to achieve this record. However, for this they will have to play long innings against the strong bowling attack of England.
Opportunity to complete 1000 ODI runs against England
The second important record in front of Ruht Sharma is to complete 1000 runs in ODI cricket against England. According to the current figures, Ruht has scored 883 runs in 25 ODI innings against England so far. To reach this special mark, he needs 117 runs at Lord’s. If Ruht scores 117 or more runs, he will join the exclusive club of Indian batsmen who have scored 1000 runs in ODIs against England. This list includes MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Srish Raina, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag.
However, playing innings of 117 runs will not be easy, especially when Ruht was not successful in playing big innings in the first two matches of this series. In such a situation, all eyes will be on his performance in the third ODI.
Discussion on Ruht’s ODI future also
Before the match at Lord’s, there was a lot of discussion on Ruht Sharma’s ODI future. It was claimed in some media reports that the Indian selectors are planning the future of the team keeping in mind the 2027 ODI World Cup and this match at Lord’s could be Ruht’s last ODI.
Amidst these speculations, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Vijay Sikiya clarified that the Lord’s ODI will not be Rohit Sharma’s last match.
He said that Ruht is a regular part of the Indian ODI team and as long as he is involved in team planning, he will continue to represent the country.
After this statement, speculations related to Ruht’s retirement and 2027 ODI World Cup have been put to rest for now. However, future decisions regarding team composition and selection will continue to be monitored.
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