Ever since Rohit Sharma started opening regularly for India since 2013, his stock has gone up higher and higher. He scored three double-hundreds in ODIs, more than any other batsman and his 264 against Sri Lanka in November 2014 is still the record for the highest individual score in the format.

In fact, Rohit averages the most runs per innings after scoring a ton as compared to any other batsman in ODI cricket.

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Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull discussed the success of Rohit Sharma and opined that Rohit doesn’t get trapped when he reaches the 90s in ODI format and that itself makes him a great player.

“His ability to increase his strike-rate past that, even it’s past 60, 70, 80… You don’t see Rohit Sharma getting stuck in the ’90s very often and laboring through the ’90s either. He is just a phenomenal player,” said Simon.

In fact, Doull rated Rohit Sharma a better one-day opener than India’s all-time great Sachin Tendulkar. He stated Rohit’s numbers are better than Sachin so he’d be the first name in his list of openers.

Doull stated, “Well, I personally have copped flak in India because I’ve said he’s the No.1, he’s the first opener picked in an all-time Indian side, hands down. I’m sorry, but you look at the stats, look at the numbers. He averages 49.A strike rate of 88. Sachin averages 44 with a strike-rate of 86, I think, across the careers.”

“So, numbers-wise, Rohit’s numbers are phenomenal, they are better than Sachin’s, that’s why to me he’s the first name on the list, and that’s only because you start at No.1, there’s Kohli on the list, Dhoni’s on the list as you get further down the order,” he added.

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He termed the Nagpur-born batsman as a phenomenal cricketer. “He (Rohit) is incredible, I love watching him play, he does it with ease, and I’m not sure why or how those numbers increase so dramatically in excess of that 70, 80, 100 marks, but they just do, and I love watching him play,” Doull said.

The 50-year-old also opined that no World XI will be complete without Rohit Sharma at present. “I think he’d make a world XI of One-Day cricket, I honestly do. When you look at those numbers, you look at an opening batsman; hundreds scored, average, strike-rate, longevity of career. I’d find it very difficult to leave him out of a World XI in one-day international cricket,” concluded Simon.

(ICC’s ‘Cricket Inside Out’ inputs)