Rohit Sharma Makes History at Lord's: Becomes the First Indian Male Batter to Score an ODI Century There
On July 19, 2026, Indian captain Rohit Sharma made history by scoring a century at Lord's Cricket Ground, becoming the first Indian male cricketer to achieve this feat in an ODI. With this century, he became the oldest Indian batter to score an international century—at the age of 39 years and 80 days—surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record. This marked the 34th ODI century of his career, his 46th international century as an opener, and his 8th ODI century in England. In the same match, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli completed their 21st century partnership in ODIs, earning the distinction of becoming the second most successful century-partnership pair in ODI history.
Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma created history on July 19, 2026, by scoring a century at England's historic Lord's Cricket Ground. He became the first Indian male cricketer to score an ODI century at Lord's. With this century, he demonstrated remarkable consistency and fitness in international cricket, effectively putting an end to all speculation regarding his retirement.
Key Records and Achievements
Became the oldest Indian batter to score an international century, at the age of 39 years and 80 days.
Surpassed Sachin Tendulkar's record (38 years, 327 days).
This was the 34th ODI century of Rohit Sharma's career.
It was his 46th international century as an opener, allowing him to break Sachin Tendulkar's record (45 centuries) for India.
New Milestone in England
Rohit Sharma scored his 8th ODI century on English soil, becoming the batter with the most ODI centuries in a single foreign country. He surpassed the record of 7 centuries each held by Sachin Tendulkar and Saeed Anwar. This achievement highlights his sustained success in overseas conditions.
Historic Partnership Between Rohit and Kohli
In this match, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli shared a 113-run partnership for the second wicket. This marked their 21st century partnership in ODI cricket. With this feat, they surpassed the duo of Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan to become the pair with the second-highest number of century partnerships in ODI history. The pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly holds the top spot on this list.
Significance for UPSC
This news is significant in the context of sporting achievements, India's global sporting stature, sports culture, and national sports personalities. Questions regarding Lord's Cricket Ground, major cricket records, and facts related to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may be asked in the Preliminary Examination. Meanwhile, references to this event could be useful in the Main Examination (GS Paper-I – Role of sports in Indian society) and the Personality Test (Interview) when discussing leadership, consistent performance, mental toughness, and sports diplomacy.
