June 23, 2007: Rohit Sharma makes his debut and scores...

Rohit Sharma made his international debut on June 23, 2007 against Ireland in Belfast.

The Mumbaikar from the north west suburb of Borivali became the 168th player to earn an Indian cap in ODIs.

Rohit didn't get a chance to bat in the first match of his international career.

A couple of months later, he made his T20I debut in the first T20 World Cup against England in Durban.

Not getting picked for the 2011 World Cup shocked the young batsman.

The secret behind Rohit's transformation into a world-beater, his childhood coach Dinesh Lad revealed to Harish Kotian/Rediff.com, was his getting dropped for the 2011 World Cup (you can read that interview in the right hand feature link below).

Hurt, Rohit vowed to come back stronger and better, which he did. He has never looked back in the shorter formats of the game, Harish observed.

"The key to his transformation was his being dropped for the 2011 World Cup. There were some diversions at that point of time, he was not giving the required time to cricket," Lad said.

"That World Cup axing was a real turning point for him because he knew that if he doesn't put more effort and time into his game, then he won't play for India again," Lad revealed.

Rohit played his first Test in 2013 and scored a century on debut. But after a kabhi haa, mostly naa Test career, he only established his presence at the top of India's batting line-up after some formidable performances at home last year.

Of course, he was an Ustad in the limited overs game, and his opening partnership with Shikhar Dhawan struck fear in the minds and hearts of bowlers all over the cricketing world.

In 224 ODI games, Rohit has 9,115 runs at 49.27 with 29 hundreds and 43 fifties.

He has played 108 T20Is, scoring 2,773 runs at 32.62 with four tons and 21 half centuries.

In Tests, Rohit has scored a not-enough-for-his magnificent-talent 2,141 runs at 46.54 with six hundreds and 10 fifties.