Rohit Sharma overtakes Sachin Tendulkar to record most centuries in World Cup history
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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NATO, others turn down US call for help in Hormuz: Trump
Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump on Tuesday said NATO and most of US' other allies have rejected his calls to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as the war with Iran entered the third week.
In a social media post, Trump asserted that Iran’s military has been “decimated” and he no longer felt the need for assistance from NATO countries or anyone else.
Last week, Trump had sought help from European nations and others who depend on oil supplies transiting from the Hormuz Strait to safeguard the critical waterway.
“The United States has been informed by most of our NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon,” the US President said in a post on Truth Social.
Iran's attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, have sparked increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.
“I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one-way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” Trump said.
He said Australia, Japan and South Korea too have turned down his call for help.
“Fortunately, we have decimated Iran’s Military – Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti-Aircraft and Radar is gone and perhaps, most importantly, their Leaders, at virtually every level, are gone, never to threaten us, our Middle Eastern Allies, or the World, again,” Trump said.
He said that given the scale of recent military successes, the US no longer "need" or desires assistance from NATO countries, adding that it never relied on such support in the first place.
Speaking as President of the United States, the "most powerful" country in the world, "we do not need" help from anyone, Trump said.
The West Asia conflict began on February 28 when the US-Israeli combine conducted airstrikes on Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, has effectively been shut following the US and Israel attack on Iran and Tehran's sweeping retaliation.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said that from Tehran's "perspective", the strait is "open". "It is only closed to Iran's enemies, to those who carried out unjust aggression against our country and to their allies.”
Earlier in the day, a second Indian-flagged LPG tanker, Nanda Devi, reached the country after safely sailing from the war-hit Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, the first ship, Shivalik, reached Mundra port in Gujarat.
As of now, 22 Indian vessels remain on the west side and two on the east side of the strait.
Indian authorities are in constant touch with all the relevant stakeholders in the region to secure the safe passage of the remaining ships, officials said.
