Rohit Gurunath Sharma, born on 30 April 1987 in Bansod, Nagpur, Maharashtra, is one of India’s most celebrated international cricketers.
Known widely as the “Hitman” for his elegant yet powerful batting, he is a right-handed top-order batsman who has represented India across all formats and Mumbai in domestic cricket, while long serving as a key figure for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
Coming from a modest Marathi-Telugu family, Rohit spent much of his early childhood with his grandparents and uncles in Borivali due to financial constraints, visiting his parents on weekends.
His father, Gurunath Sharma, worked as a caretaker at a transport firm storehouse, and his mother, Purnima Sharma, originally from Visakhapatnam, provided steady emotional support.
Siblings
Rohit has one sibling, a younger brother named Vishal Sharma.
The two share a close bond that has endured from their humble beginnings in a single-room home in Dombivli to the present day.
While Rohit spent much of his childhood with relatives in Borivali for better opportunities, he would reunite with his parents and brother on weekends, and the brothers often played cricket together.
Vishal has deliberately stayed out of the spotlight, preferring a quieter life.
He previously worked in the hospitality sector before Rohit encouraged him to leave that job; he now manages Rohit Sharma’s cricket academies in India and Singapore, handling operations and related business interests.
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Career
Rohit’s international career began in 2007 with his ODI debut against Ireland and T20I debut the same year against England; he was part of the India squad that won the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup.
He made his Test debut in 2013 against the West Indies, scoring a memorable 177.
Over nearly two decades he established himself as a prolific batsman, particularly in limited-overs cricket, where he holds the record for the highest individual ODI score of 264 and is the only player with three double centuries in the format.
He became a consistent opener and middle-order contributor across formats, accumulating thousands of runs, including multiple centuries in World Cups and a standout performance as the leading run-scorer in the 2019 ODI World Cup with five centuries.
In the Indian Premier League he first played for Deccan Chargers before joining Mumbai Indians, where he later captained the side to five titles (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020).
Appointed India’s captain across formats in the early 2020s after succeeding Virat Kohli, Rohit led the team to the 2023 ODI World Cup final, victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
He also guided India to Asia Cup titles in 2018 and 2023.
Rohit retired from T20 Internationals after the 2024 World Cup triumph and from Test cricket in May 2025, while continuing to feature in ODIs.
Accolades
Sharma received the Arjuna Award in 2015 and the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (formerly Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna) in 2020.
In 2026 he was conferred the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, for his long-standing service to Indian cricket, including leading the country to the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy titles.
He was named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2019 and has earned multiple selections in ICC Teams of the Year.
Team successes under his captaincy and as a player include the 2007 and 2024 T20 World Cups, the 2013 and 2025 Champions Trophies, Asia Cup victories, and five IPL titles as Mumbai Indians captain, making him one of the most successful captains in the tournament’s history.
He holds numerous batting records, including the highest ODI individual score, the most ODI double centuries, and significant tallies of sixes and World Cup centuries, cementing his place among the modern greats of the game.
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