The Best of 2017: 5 Interesting records that Indians created during the year

2017 was always a year of reckoning for the Indian cricket fans. There were several interesting tours during the year, which started with the Women’s World Cup and set the standards for some high quality and exciting cricket. Records were meant to be broken during the year, with India playing Australia and Australia later playing England in Ashes.

Women’s World Cup too saw the likes of Mithali Raj, Ellyse Perry and Harmanpreet Kaur fight against each other to crown the champions of Women’s ODI cricket. However, it was Heather Knight & Co. who emerged victorious after overcoming the tough test from the Indian Women’s team.

Few players were also destined to break records during the course, Virat Kohli started the year in rich form. Australia’s Steve Smith and England’s Joe Root too began their year in such pipping hot form. However, it seemed like Rohit Sharma had the last laugh, as he walked away breaking a couple of interesting records towards the end. Let’s take a look at the top five interesting records that were broken during 2017:

1. Virat Kohli breaks Brian Lara’s record for most Test 200s as captain:

It was always destined to come, as Virat Kohli was knocking the ball ever-so-sweetly. The Indian top-order batsman became the Indian skipper in 2017. Not only did India win all the bilateral series in the year, under his leadership but also did so in a commanding fashion.

The captain himself was leading the team from the front, breaking all possible batting records. The Indian skipper conquered one such exceptional record that was set by the great Brian Lara. The West Indian left-handed batsman held the record for the most 200’s as the skipper – 5. However, the 29-year-old from Delhi overtook the West Indian by scoring his sixth double century against in the 3rd Test against Sri Lanka.

The only other batsmen who have six double tons in the history of Indian cricket are Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar.

2. Mithali Raj the first woman to score 6000 ODI runs

Not very often a women’s cricketers’ record is added to the list of interesting records broken during the year. One such milestone that stood out was Mithali Raj’s world record when she became the first woman to score 6000 runs in One-Day Internationals. She surpassed the former English skipper Charlotte Edwards, who has 5992 runs by her name.

Taking 16 innings fewer than the former England skipper, Raj completed her 6000 runs in 164 innings at an average of 51.52. However, she could not help India to the Women’s World Cup as they fell narrowly short of England in the finals of the prestigious tournament.

3. Rohit Sharma equalling the T20I record for the fastest century:

Fastest century T20I record seemed safe and secure with South African left-handed batsman David Miller who had created it against Bangladesh earlier this year. However, it was not to be as Indian opener Rohit Sharma stormed his way to equal the record taking the Sri Lankan bowlers to the cleaners.

The right-handed opener did not stop breaking records in 201cr7, as equalled the record of the fastest century in a T20 Internationals weeks after creating an ODI record. Rohit hit a mind-boggling 11 boundaries and eight sixes on his way to reaching his century off just 35 deliveries against a hapless Sri Lankan bowling attack in the 2nd T20I against Sri Lanka. 

4. A record third double ton for Rohit Sharma in ODI’s:

Rohit Sharma had a year of absolute domination in limited-overs cricket. After Indian skipper Virat Kohli was rested, his successor, Rohit was named as the Indian skipper for the limited-overs leg of Sri Lanka’s tour of India.

After a horrendous start in the opener at Dharamsala, the stand-in skipper struck a lusty double hundred in the second game. Rohit scored a historic third double hundred as India continued to look ruthless in the series against Sri Lanka.

The Mumbaikar is the only batsman in world cricket to have more than one double century in the ODI format. He now has three double hundreds to his name while all the other batsmen have only four.

5. Virat Kohli became the fastest batsmen to reach 8000 ODI runs:

Indian batting mainstay Virat Kohli became the quickest batsman to score 8000 runs in One-Day International cricket, beating AB de Villiers’ record. The South African batsman had scored his 8000 runs taking seven more innings than Virat, who got there in his 175th innings.

He registered his 8000th run in ODI format, during his unbeaten 96 runs against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy semi-final game at Birmingham.

ABD required 182 innings to produce his 8000 runs to ODIs, while former Indian batsman Sourav Ganguly took 200 innings to bring up the milestone.