IND vs NZ: Rohit Sharma Ends 3-Year Drought To Equal Ricky Ponting's Hundred Record

IND vs NZ, 3rd ODI: Rohit scored 101 off 85 balls at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

The 35-year-old is now the joint-third in the list of most ODI hundreds. ( Image Source :Twitter/@BCCI )

India captain Rohit Sharma reached a hundred in One-Day Internationals after 3-years on Tuesday. He scored a century in the third ODI against New Zealand at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. As soon as he got to the three-figures mark, he equalled former Australia captain Ricky Ponting's tally of ODI hundreds. Notably, both Rohit and Ponting now have 30 centuries in the 50-over format. While Ponting finished with that many hundreds after his 375-match career, the Indian opener now has 30 in 241 matches.

The 35-year-old is now the joint-third in the list of most ODI hundreds. The two batters who have more centuries in this format than him are also Indians with Sachin Tendulkar at the top of this list with 49 hundreds and Rohit's teammate Kohli not too far behind with as many as 46 tons.

Rohit's last ODI hundred came in January 2020

It is pertinent to note that that the India and Mumbai Indians skipper last got a hundred in an ODI on January 19, 2020 against Australia in Bengaluru. Post that while the Hitman has got to half-centuries on five different instances and has even scored at a brisk strike rate but couldn't reach the record-equalling century. During this period, Rohit even smashed a Test hundred against England at home but couldn't replicate that form in this 50-over format.

2023 has started on a promising note for one of the white-ball greats of the game having recorded scores of 34 and 51 in the first two ODIs against the Kiwis before his hundred in the final match of the series. With the ODI World Cup coming up later this year and both Rohit and Virat showing glimpses of their peak form, it could be a tough nut to crack for the other teams in world cricket to beat India at their own backyard.