Indian cricket star Rohit Sharma received the ‘Impact Player of the Series’ award for his brilliant batting performances in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia. His standout moment came in the final ODI in Sydney, where he scored an unbeaten century and shared a 168-run partnership with Virat Kohli.
The series was a true test of Rohit’s determination. After starting with a low score in Perth, he battled hard to make a composed 73 off 97 balls in Adelaide, even when playing against his natural style. Then in Sydney, he returned to his explosive best, smashing 121* off 125 balls. Across the three games, Rohit showed he still has his eyes firmly set on the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, proving his hunger and commitment to the sport remain as strong as ever.
Gambhir praises team effort and Harshit Rana
After the final game, head coach Gautam Gambhir praised the team’s overall performance, particularly the bowlers for restricting Australia to 237. He was especially impressed with young pacer Harshit Rana, who took four wickets in Sydney, calling his spell “outstanding.”
“We wanted to be desperate, we wanted to be hungry and put our bodies on the line. I thought we did everything, we ticked all the boxes,” Gambhir said.
Adding to it he mentioned that, “I thought the bowlers were outstanding – the kind of Australia had. Restricting them to 237 was great. Special mention to Harshit. He had an outstanding spell. What I wanted to say is to stay humble, stay grounded and keep working hard”.
Rohit and Virat’s partnership brings back the magic
The award was handed to Rohit by the team’s strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux, amid loud applause from teammates. After struggling for rhythm in the first two ODIs, both Rohit and Virat bounced back in the final match. Rohit’s unbeaten 121* and Virat’s steady 74* powered India’s successful chase of 237 runs.
Their partnership – the first century stand between them since 2020 – reminded fans and critics alike that the two legends still have plenty to offer. Their calculated stroke play and understanding at the crease were vintage Ro-Ko.
Harshit Rana shines with the ball
Earlier in the match, Harshit Rana’s superb bowling figures of 4/39 helped India limit Australia to 237 after they had reached 183/3. Though Matt Renshaw made a fighting half-century, the rest of the Australian batting lineup failed to capitalize on a strong start.
Despite Australia winning the series 2-1, India walked away with several positives – most notably, the return to form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Their partnership in Sydney not only helped India finish on a high but also reignited hope for the team’s future heading into the World Cup cycle.