The Lord’s ODI will not be the last time that Rohit Sharma will play for India, says the board secretary Devajit Saikia.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already put an end to rumors about Rohit Sharma’s ODI career and has stated that the veteran batsman is not looking to quit after the third ODI against England at Lord’s.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia explained that there wasn’t any discussion about Rohit’s retirement and that the veteran will continue to be a key figure in India’s ODI squad.
There’s been no such discussion that Rohit Sharma will be playing his final game at Lord’s. He remains a constant member of India’s ODI team and is set to play for the country as long as he is in the plans of the team, Saikia said.
After two poor performances in the first ODI and second ODI of the England series, the retirement speculations started to build up. His 11 runs in the first game at Edgbaston and 26 in the second ODI at Cardiff brought his name into the international fold, and led to speculation about his future.
But post the defeat in Cardiff, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had given a thumbs up to the veteran opener saying he had faith that Rohit would bounce back in the series decider in Lord’s.
It has been reported that selectors have already started preparing for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2027, with higher chances for lesser-known opening batters in the months ahead. It is believed that earlier this year discussions were held for Rohit’s long-term future that included the selection committee and head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Though there has been speculation about his future, Rohit still remains one of the finest ODI batsmen in the history of cricket. He has 11,757 runs in ODI cricket, holds the record for the highest individual ODI score (264), and the only batter to have three double centuries in ODI cricket. He has also scored 33 ODI centuries, including the four ODI centuries during the 2019 ODI World Cup, of which he had posted a record five ODI hundreds during the World Cup.
For the time being, the BCCI has made its decision and Rohit Sharma is likely to play for the Indian team in one-dayers beyond the current series against England.
