Rohit has been at the forefront, leading the charge with a strike rate of 124.15, which is the best that any opener with a minimum of 400 runs has made in any men’s 50-over World Cup.

It has helped India stay ahead of the curve but has also allowed the following batters to bide their time, assess the conditions and play accordingly instead of primarily focusing on upping the run rate.īarring the games against Australia and England, which were played on slow tracks and where India lost early wickets, India have crossed 75 in the powerplay on five occasions. New Zealand have a powerplay strike rate of 90.19, being the only other side with a hitting rate of 90-plus. Only Australia have struck at over 100 in the competition in that phase, striking at 102.41 in nine innings.

India have a strike rate of 109 in the first ten overs of the tournament, the best among all teams.

A major reason for India’s success in the 2023 World Cup has been their powerplay surge and Rohit Sharma has paved the way, writes Sarah Waris.

Powerplay cricket