A notable number of players who took part in the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup announced their retirement after the 2021 edition in the UAE. Only Shakib Al Hasan and Rohit Sharma, who have captained their respective countries this year, participated in the 2007 tournament. Let’s take a look at both the cricketers' records in the Twenty20 format World Cup.
Shakib Al Hasan and Rohit Sharma’s records in the ICC T20 World Cup events
15 years ago, in September 2007, the inaugural ICC World T20 took place in South Africa. The ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 is the eighth edition of the competition. The veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and India’s top-order batter Rohit Sharma have taken part in every event of the competition. Interestingly, both the players have captained their respective sides in this year’s event. Here are their records in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup.
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Shakib Al Hasan
Bangladesh’s T20I captain, Shakib Al Hasan, was a newbie when he took part in his first Twenty20 World Cup in 2007. The left-hander made 67 runs and picked up 6 wickets in 5 matches in that tournament.
Shakib was initially regarded as a bowling all-rounder. He has gradually improved his batting and become a genuine all-round cricketer, which reflects his performances in later World Cup events. Overall, Shakib Al Hasan has made 31 appearances in T20 World Cup events.
He has 698 runs with an average of 26.84 and a strike rate of 124.64, which is eighth highest overall. Shakib has scalped 41 wickets, which is the highest in T20 World Cup history. He has a 17.29 average and a 6.43 economy rate with the ball.
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Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma played four matches in the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup and won the tournament with India. The present India’s captain made 88 runs in 3 innings with a stunning 144.26 strike rate, including a half century.
Over the years, Rohit has evolved as a player and is now one of the leading run scorers in the Twenty20 internationals. Rohit’s record in the T20 World Cup tournaments has been impressive as well. He is the tournament’s 4th highest run scorer with 847. Rohit’s average in the tournament is 38.50 and he has a strike rate of 131.52.
Aftermath
Shakib Al Hasan and Rohit Sharma have come a long way since making their international debuts in the mid-2000s. They have elevated their status by consistently putting up strong performances year after year. The ongoing competition is most likely the last ICC T20 World Cup event for both players. They will therefore be even more driven to succeed in the competition.
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