(ESPNcricinfo)- On Sunday Rohit Sharma made his fifth hundred in T20 cricket, the most by an Asian batsman, his unbeaten 100 helping India seal a 2-1 series win against England.
It was also Rohit’s third century in T20Is – New Zealand batsman Colin Munro is the only other player with as many. Rohit could have achieved the feat a week earlier, but fell short by three runs in the first match of India’s UK trip, against Ireland in Malahide.
How does he do it? Dinesh Karthik, Rohit’s India team-mate, tried to find out in a bcci.tv video chat after the victory in Bristol.
On holding the record for the most T20I centuries, with Munro
It feels good to win the series first, that was the only thing that was playing in my mind. We lost the last game, and it was a decider. The only thing I was thinking was about how we can pull off this victory as a unit. Personal, individual milestones will happen along the way, but I was not at all thinking about all of that. It was important that once I got off to a good start, I was only thinking about how we can finish off the game. That was the only thing that was playing in my mind because it was an important game for us to win and build those partnerships in the middle.
On the difference between the 97 against Ireland and the Bristol century
Today was different circumstance only because we were chasing. As a batting group we’ve always spoken that there has to be one set batsman batting through the innings. And it was my responsibility today. The other day [first T20I at Old Trafford] it was KL Rahul who got a beautiful hundred. So it was my day today to make sure today I finish off the game. In Ireland it was all about making as many runs as possible because we were batting first. So I went for the shot, missed it, got out. Was a little disappointed.
Which of the three T20I hundreds is the most special?
It’s difficult, Dinesh. Because you also know how important these hundreds are. I’ve only got three hundreds. It is not like I have got a lot more where I can pick. In the past, people have asked me about my three double-hundreds [in ODIs]. I’ve never picked one because all were very different and came at different times. As a cricketer it is so tough to pick one hundred you score, because every hundred is important.
Only man to score three ODI double-hundreds and three T20I hundreds. Should his nickname, Hitman, be changed?
I kind of like Hitman a lot, goes well with my name as well.
