The official Instagram handle of Team Ro, the batting icon’s media team, posted a snippet of the ‘Hitman’ showcasing his trademark elegance. “Finesse,” read the caption of the post. Despite persistent questions over whether the 39-year-old can feature in the 2027 World Cup because of his age, Rohit has continued to silence critics with strong performances. During the tour of England, speculation was rife ahead of the third ODI at Lord’s that the series decider at the iconic venue could be his last international match for India, having already retired from T20Is and Tests.
However, with a brutal 138 in a chase of 388, the ‘Hitman’ shook off the rust from his previous outings and proved he is far from finished.
Rohit ended the ODI series in England with 175 runs in three matches at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of 98.31, including a century. His best performance came in the series decider, where he smashed 138 off 110 balls, with 17 fours and five sixes, during India’s pursuit of 388. India eventually lost the match by 27 runs.
Following the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) review meeting in Mumbai on Thursday, board secretary Devajit Saikia backed former captain Rohit Sharma, highlighting his consistent performances and recent 138-run knock against England while dismissing speculation surrounding the veteran batter’s retirement.
Saikia said he did not want to provide any further fuel to the speculation surrounding Rohit’s future. The opener’s road to the 2027 ODI World Cup has come under scrutiny in recent times, with the veteran batter nearing the age of 40.
“He has been playing superbly in all the matches, so what more do you want? He scored 138 runs in the last match, so why is there any speculation? For now, I don’t want to give any fodder to the speculators,” Saikia told reporters.
Rohit has experienced a mixed run in ODIs this year, scoring 379 runs in nine innings at an average of 42.11 and a strike rate of over 99. He has registered one century and one half-century, with a best score of 138.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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