BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia has put a complete stop to all the rumors spreading regarding Rohit Sharma’s retirement. Breaking his silence on this matter, he has given relief news to Hitman’s fans.
Saikia has made it clear that the India vs England third ODI to be held at Lord’s on July 19 will be the last match of Rohit Sharma’s career. Indian fans must have heaved a sigh of relief with this statement. Actually, the report of Indian Express had shaken everyone when it was said that Lord’s ODI could be the last match of Rohit Sharma’s career. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has talked to Rohit Sharma about this and he has been told that he is now out of the World Cup 2027 scheme.
Devajit Saikia, in a special conversation with PTI, said, “There is a lot of speculation in the media regarding the future of Rohit Sharma. I want to emphatically say that there is no discussion that Rohit will play his last match at Lord’s on Sunday.
He said, “Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team and will continue to play for the country as long as he is part of the team’s plans. In other words, Lord’s ODI is not his last match.
The danger is not over yet for Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma’s form remains a matter of concern at present. World Cup 2027 is still more than a year away. In such a situation, if Hitman does not improve his form and way of playing, then he can be dropped from the team.
Actually, in the last 8 matches, Rohit Sharma has scored only 241 runs with an average of 33 and strike rate of 88.6. During this period, only one fifty has come from his bat.
Rohit Sharma will have to show ‘Hitman’ avatar
Runs will still come from Rohit Sharma’s bat, but the biggest issue at the moment remains his strike rate. Rohit Sharma changed his playing template at the beginning of this decade. He was giving an aggressive start to the team, due to which he also got the tag of Hitman. He batted in this style in the 2023 World Cup also. But after winning the Champions Trophy 2025, when he was stripped of the captaincy, he stopped playing risky shots to secure his place in the team. He started adopting a defensive game instead of attacking, in an effort to save wickets his run rate decreased which directly affected his strike rate.
In the second ODI against England also, it took 47 balls for Rohit Sharma to score 26 runs. During this period he hit only 1 four and 1 six.
If Rohit Sharma wants to play the 2027 World Cup, he will have to change his playing template once again. He will have to play the same kind of attacking cricket for which he is known. Rohit Sharma will again have to show his Hitman avatar.
India’s next ODI series in September
Rohit Sharma will have a long rest after playing the last ODI against England on July 19. India has to play the next ODI series against West Indies in September. In such a situation, he will get a lot of time to make changes in his batting and plan to play World Cup 2027.
India has to play approximately 20 to 22 more ODI matches till the 2027 World Cup. In such a situation, Rohit Sharma will have to perform continuously so that his place in the team can be confirmed.