Rohit Sharma

Some Lesser Known Facts About Rohit Sharma

• When Rohit was 1½ years old, his family moved to Dombivali, a suburb of Mumbai.

  

• His family’s financial condition was not good enough, so he was sent to live with his grandparents in Borivali, Mumbai, where he started playing ‘Galli Cricket.’

• Although he attended Rizvi College in Mumbai after he passed his 12th board examination, he dropped out of college to pursue his cricketing career. ^[21]The Financial Express

• At the age of 11, when he was in 6th standard, he joined a local cricket club in Borivali during his summer vacation, not as a batsman but as an off-spin bowler as there were too many batsmen.

• Dinesh Lad was the coach of the cricket club, and he discovered Rohit’s cricketing skills. It was Lad who helped Rohit get a scholarship for his admission at Swami Vivekanand International School, where he impressed the selectors with his off-spin and won many games for the school.

  

• Earlier, he used to bat at No. 8 or 9 as a tailender, but when his coach saw potential in his batting, he promoted his batting order in the nets.

• Rohit could not get selected in the Under-16 selection trial. However, he became the Player of the Tournament during Mumbai’s selection trials.

  

• Rohit opened in an inter-school ‘Giles Shield’ tournament match for the first time, where he scored career-changing 120-odd runs.

• Vasoo Paranjape, a former Indian cricketer and coach, played a significant role in ensuring Rohit’s inclusion not just in the U-17 team but also in the playing squad.

• By 2004, Rohit was emerging as a prominent talent in Mumbai. Pravin Amre, who was the chief junior selector then, was persuaded by Paranjape to observe Rohit’s performance in a local game, which led to Rohit securing a cricket scholarship. ^[22]Sportstar

• In March 2005, Rohit Sharma played his first List A match for West Zone against Central Zone in the Deodhar Trophy at Gwalior, where he remained unbeaten with a score of 31. His standout performance occurred in the same competition when he played against North Zone at the Maharana Bhupal College Ground in Udaipur, scoring 142 runs off 123 balls.

  

• In July 2006, Rohit Sharma debuted in First Class cricket for India A against New Zealand A in Darwin, scoring 57 runs in his first innings and 22 in the second.

• He played his first Ranji match in the 2006-07 season for Mumbai against Gujarat, where he scored 205 runs from 267 balls.

• His record Ranji score, an unbeaten 309, was achieved in a game against Gujarat in December 2009.

• Following Ajit Agarkar‘s retirement in October 2013, Rohit Sharma was appointed as the captain of the Mumbai Ranji team.

• In 2008, the Deccan Chargers selected Rohit Sharma in the IPL auction.

• By 2011, he had moved to the Mumbai Indians. Leading the team, Rohit guided the Mumbai Indians to IPL victories in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.

• His sole century in the IPL was recorded in the 2012 season, scoring an unbeaten 109 against the Kolkata Knight Riders. ^[23]The Hindu

• Rohit Sharma is an eggetarian. His coach, Dinesh Lad, mentioned that Rohit frequently visited his house to enjoy his preferred dish of half-fried eggs since non-vegetarian items were not allowed in Rohit’s family home at the time. Lad recounted an occasion when Rohit and three others consumed over 60 eggs in one evening at his residence. Lad said,
  

  You won’t believe it. That night, Rohit, his brother, my son Siddhesh, and another boy—four of them—gulped more than 60 eggs. I was tired of cooking, but it was worth it.” ^[24]Sportstar

• When he debuted in Test cricket in November 2013, it was Sachin Tendulkar‘s retirement series.

• Several companies, such as CEAT and the Swiss watch manufacturer Hublot, have endorsed him.

• He has promoted a wide range of brands, such as Maggi, Fair and Lovely, Lay’s, Nissan, the energy drink Relentless, Nasivion nasal spray, Aristocrat bags from VIP Industries, Adidas, and Oppo smartphones.

• Rohit Sharma’s aggressive batting style and his ability to hit sixes have earned him the nickname “Hitman.” ^[25]The Times of India

• Sunil Gavaskar once said that Rohit Sharma’s batting technique was almost similar to those of Virender Sehwag and Viv Richards.

• Rohit Sharma is mostly spotted fielding in the slips, and he sometimes bowls right-arm off-spin.

• Rohit Sharma is actively involved in numerous animal welfare initiatives. In 2018, WWF-India appointed him as its Rhino Ambassador. He is also affiliated with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

• In September 2015, Rohit Sharma joined Hollywood actors Matt LeBlanc and Salma Hayek in an anti-poaching initiative in Kenya aimed at protecting Africa’s wildlife, including the last northern white rhinoceros. ^[26]The Economic Times

  

• Rohit Sharma often forgets and misplaced things. Virat Kohli revealed this habit of Rohit during a conversation with Gaurav Kapur in 2017. Kohli said,
  

  The number of things Rohit Sharma forgets, I have never seen anyone else being this forgetful. iPad, wallet, phone, not the small things, but things for daily use. He (Rohit Sharma) has forgotten his passport two or three times. It was very hard to retrieve it.” ^[27]Hindustan Times

• Rohit Sharma’s mother tongue is Telugu. He once talked about his mother tongue and said,
  

  Yes, my mother tongue is Telugu…my mom is from Vizag.”

• He is a firm believer in Lord Ganesha and visits the Siddhivinayak Temple before any tour.

  

• He once bunked his school to meet Virender Sehwag.

• He is a huge fan of the Real Madrid Football Club.

• He loves to sleep a lot. ^[28]Amar Ujala

  

• According to Rohit, had he not become a cricketer, he would have become a real estate businessman.

• Ahead of the 2024 IPL, Hardik Pandya replaced him as the captain of the Mumbai Indians.

• On 29 June 2024, he ate a bit of the grass on the Barbados pitch after defeating South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup final match at the Kensington Oval. He reportedly did this to take part of the Kensington Oval with him after winning the T20 World Cup.

  

• In August 2024, Rohit Sharma was selected to play in the Duleep Trophy by the BCCI before the test series with Bangladesh. He was chosen alongside Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, and Kuldeep Yadav.

• On 7 May 2025, he posted an Instagram story, announcing his retirement from test cricket with his test cap #280.

  

• He wrote, “Hello everyone, I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. It’s been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites. Thank you for all the love and support over the years. I will continue to represent India in the ODI format.“

• Many cricketers who played with him, like Ajinkya Rahane, were surprised at his retirement news.