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Rohit Sharma Once Ignored MS Dhoni's Tactical Brilliance To Slam Historic 200 In ODI

When Rohit Sharma trusted his gut over MS Dhoni's advice (@cricketcomau/X.com)When Rohit Sharma trusted his gut over MS Dhoni's advice (@cricketcomau/X.com)

During his iconic maiden ODI double century against Australia in November 2013, Rohit Sharma famously disregarded MS Dhoni's advice. This memorable innings took place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where India was in a challenging position at 207/4 after losing key wickets.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma holds the record of hitting most double hundreds in ODI history as he has as many as 3 such iconic knocks to his name. The first and iconic double century came in 2013 that too against a formidable side like Australia. Batting first, Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan stitched up a 112-run opening stand before four wickets fell in quick successions. 

With India reduced to 207/4 at 34 overs, captain MS Dhoni walked in to bat at no.6. He urged Rohit, who was already well-set, to play a more conservative role while he would take on the aggressive shots. Dhoni wanted Rohit to bat deep until the 50th over and hence advised him to avoid taking risks.

When Rohit Sharma chose his self belief over MS Dhoni's request 

However, Rohit Sharma had other plans and chose to continue batting aggressively, leading to a remarkable 209 runs off just 158 balls, which included 12 fours and an astonishing 16 sixes. His innings helped India post a humongous total of 383/6, ultimately winning the match by 57 runs after dismissing Australia for 326. 

Interestingly, in a 2020 Instagram Live session with Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma recalled this incident, sharing that he felt confident in his approach despite Dhoni's advice. 

Rohit's aggressive innings not only marked a turning point in his career but also set the stage for his subsequent double centuries in ODIs, including a record-breaking 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014. 

While MS Dhoni's tactical brilliance is unmatched, Rohit Sharma's self-belief soared high on that eventful day. Hence, he reaped the rewards of taking risk and scripted history.