The comparison between the two explosive openers of India, Rohit Sharma and Virender Sehwag, brings up the word “dangerous” which can mean different things such as strike rate, scoring ability at the turn of a career, and overall impact. Each of these two batsmen brought their own version of revolution to the opening slot for India, and while both have similarities, their styles and statistics tell a different story. One Day Internationals (ODIs): In ODIs, both Sharma and Sehwag were phenomenal openers. As an ODI opener, Virender Sehwag scored 7518 runs in 214 innings at an average of 36.49 and a strike rate of 104.33. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, has a significantly higher average as an opener, 57.44, from 141 innings, scoring 7,238 runs. Remarkably, he has 27 centuries to his name as an opener, underscoring his capability to construct big innings. Rohit also has the unique record of having 3 ODI double centuries which he scored while opening, further demonstrating his ability to score mammoth runs. In winning causes, Rohit's average as an opener jumps to a staggering 69.16 with 21 hundreds compared to Sehwag’s 47.26 average with 13 hundreds in winning bouts.Test Cricket:Rohit Sharma began to hit his stride in 2019 as a Test opener, and his achievements since then have been nothing short of remarkable. He has accrued a total of 2,697 runs in 38 Test matches opened, with an average of 42.80 including nine centuries. His overseas record as an opener, especially in England, is remarkable as he averages 44.54. Virender Sehwag, however, was the first to truly reinvent Test opening with his bold gameplay. He played 104 Test matches scoring 8,586 runs at an average of 49.34. To put his numbers into perspective, his strike rate of 82.23 in Tests is extraordinarily high for the format and reflects his “dangerous” approach to the game. Sehwag is also the only Indian to have scored two triple centuries in Test cricket, both of which were achieved as an opener.Understanding What is "Dangerous"Aggressive batting displayed and record-breaking innings like the triple centuries Sehwag scored set a benchmark for all opening batsmen in tests. But when it comes to ODIs, Sehwag’s average is overshadowed by Rohit Sharma. The latter’s quick scoring bat skills, his ability to convert begins into colossal centuries, along with tremendous winning causes average, frequently makes him the more "consistently dangerous" opener in white-ball cricket. Although he may not be as impactful as Rohit, Sehwag made a bigger impact on Test cricket by changing the mindset of how the format can be played from the very start.
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