AB de Villiers hails Rohit Sharma for becoming second-fastest player to score 10,000 ODI runs

Indian Cricket team captain Rohit Sharma has been rolling high in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. Rohit is the highest run-scorer for the Indian team in the tournament so far. Having played 4 matches, the right-handed batter has scored 194 runs at an impressive strike rate of 108.98. 

Rohit has also crossed the 10,000 ODI runs in his career and former legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers talked about Rohit achieving the milestone and heaped praise on him. He acknowledged how Rohit became the second-fastest player to score 10,000 runs in the ODI format after former India captain Virat Kohli.

“Rohit was fourth slowest to 2000 runs, but the second fastest to 10000. How’s that for a comeback? I have a lot of respect for him. The first time I watched him play, I thought this guy has got something special to offer. What I like most about him – from a very young age, he’s always had a fighting spirit. He would not back down to anyone,” de Villiers was quoted as saying by India Today.

He always had an incredible fighting spirit: AB de Villiers

De Villiers also recalled how Rohit during a Test match in Durban didn’t stand back against the likes of the greatest fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. The former South Africa captain showered praise on Rohit for his brilliant fighting spirit due to which he was impressed a lot by him.

“I think of a Test match in Durban where he just wouldn’t stand back to Dale Steyn or Morne Morkel or any of our fast bowlers. He would make eye contact. If anyone chirped him. He would be right in their face, chest out. I always liked that. At that time, I didn’t enjoy it because he was there to beat us. But thinking back, he always had this incredible fighting spirit,” he added.