New Delhi(PTI): Captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday became the first Indian to score seven world cup hundreds, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar during their clash against Afghanistan here.
While Tendulkar recorded six centuries in as many editions of World Cups that he played -- 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011, Rohit achieved the feat in only three: 2015, 2019 and 2023.
Rohit also holds the record of scoring most centuries (five) by any batter in a World Cup edition -- a feat that he achieved in 2019 in England.
Rohit's ton against Afghanistan was his 31st overall, taking him past Australian legend Ricky Ponting. He is now behind India's Virat Kohli (47) and Tendulkar (49) in the history of ODI cricket.
Rohit also broke Kapil Dev's (72) record of fastest ODI century for India in World Cup history, moving into triple figures off just 63 balls (12x4s, 4x6s).
In imperious form during India's chase of 273 against Afghanistan, Rohit also went past West Indies' Chris Gayle (553 sixes across formats) to record most sixes hit in international cricket across formats.
Rohit completed his half-century off just 30 balls second fastest in the edition so far while hitting three sixes and seven fours to make 60 unbeaten off 32 balls at the end of the eighth over.
Rohit unleashed his signature pull shot to hit Afghanistan bowler Naveen-Ul-Haq on the penultimate ball of the eighth over to overtake Gayle. Pakistan's Shahid Afridi is third in the list with overall 476 sixes.
In the process, the Indian skipper also joined Australia's David Warner in taking least number of innings (19) to complete 1,000 runs in World Cup history.
Among other Indians, Tendulkar (20) and Sourav Ganguly (21) feature among those with quickest to 1,000 runs in World Cups.
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Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that an individual can become a sarpanch, municipal councillor or a mayor only if he/she has more than two children, hinting that it will arrest the falling population.
Naidu said he will bring out policies to encourage people to have more children.
"At one time, individuals with many children were not allowed to contest the panchayat (election) or local bodies. Now what I am saying is that individuals with lower numbers of children cannot contest. You will be a sarpanch, municipal councillor, corporation chairman or a mayor only if you have more than two children," he told reporters in Naravaripalle here recently.
According to the CM, North India may lose its advantage of having a stable fertility rate in about 15 years.
The TDP supremo noted that the older generations had more children, while the current generation brought it down to one child and also highlighted that some 'smart' people nowadays are going for double income no kids (DINK) concept to enjoy.
"Your parents bore four to five children and you reduced it to one. Even smarter people now are saying double income no kids let us enjoy. If their parents had thought like them, they would not have come into this world," he said.
All countries made this mistake, and we have to make the decision at the right time, said Naidu, adding that the importance of having more children was not stressed and the situation went out of hand.
Citing countries like South Korea and Japan and continental Europe, he said people in those places did not realise the danger of plummeting populations but only focused on creating wealth, raising income and taking those countries forward.
"Now they need people, we have to send them. We came to that situation," Naidu added.
Early this month, Naidu flagged the falling birthrates and said India should not repeat the mistakes committed by other countries such as South Korea and Japan, where birthrates have plummeted.
The CM said some couples are averse to having children nowadays because they do not want to share the money they earned and use those riches for their own enjoyment.
Naidu, in October last year, said there was a need to manage the population in Andhra Pradesh given that there will be an increase in the aging population.
"Till 2047, we will have the demographic dividend, there will be more youngsters. After 2047, there will be more old people…if less than two children are given birth (per woman), then the population will reduce. If you (each woman) give birth to more than two children, then the population will increase," Naidu had said.