Former Indian cricketer and batting coach Sanjay Bangar has backed Test skipper Shubman Gill to break Rohit Sharma’s record of the highest individual score of 264 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs).
Speaking on ‘The Great Indian Cricket Show’ on Doordarshan, Bangar highlighted Gill’s technical prowess and proven ability to anchor long innings, positioning him as the prime candidate among current Indian batters to break Rohit’s record.
Notably, Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 264 off 173 balls against Sri Lanka in Kolkata on November 13, 2014, remains the highest individual score in ODI history. It powered India to a 153-run victory and featured 33 boundaries (28 fours and 5 sixes). No batter has surpassed the special milestone in over a decade, underscoring its monumental status.
Sanjay Bangar Explains Why Shubman Gill Could Break Rohit Sharma’s Record
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar feels that Shubman Gill already has elite experience with big scores, noting his 208-run double-century against New Zealand in Hyderabad in January 2023 – the third-highest by an Indian in ODIs.
The 52-year-old argued that if Gill gets to bat for 45-46 overs, as Rohit did, surpassing 264 is within reach.
“Shubman Gill has also scored a double hundred in one-day cricket. So, he has tasted it. And if Shubman Gill plays 45-46 overs, I think he can break the record,” said Sanjay Bangar.
Notably, Gill is a part of distinguished group of Indian batters — Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, and Ishan Kishan — who have all scored double centuries in ODIs. In 55 ODIs, he has scored 2,755 runs at an average of 59.04, with eight centuries and 15 fifties so far.
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Sanjay Bangar was also optimistic about Yuvraj Singh’s fastest T20I half-century record to be broken by an Indian, i.e. Abhishek Sharma. Yuvraj scored his 50 off just 12 balls against England in Durban during the 2007 T20 World Cup – a mark that has endured for years.
“He (Abhishek) is his student. And he hits sixes in the same way,” said Bangar.
Abhishek, who has been mentored by Abhishek Sharma, was in sensational form during the recently-concluded Asia Cup 2025, which India won after beating Pakistan in the final. At Asia Cup 2025, Abhishek amassed 314 runs at a strike rate of 200, with three half-centuries and was named Player Of the Tournament.
On being asked which Indian batter could surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s overseas run tally, Bangar remarked: “Do you know how long was Sachin Tendulkar’s meditation? 24 years. So, in this era, I think no one will be able to survive 24 years. That’s why no one will be able to break his record.”