TimesofIndia.com in London: There was a lot of cheering as Rohit Sharma entered the iconic Lord’s cricket ground on Saturday. The mood remained the same when he came out about three hours later.“The most important man in all India!” one fan shouted. Another declared, “Ek Century pakka kal! (One century tomorrow for sure!)” as Rohit smiled and took his place in the luxurious black bus. Playbacks for “Hitman” may not be streaming. Naysayers may be pushing him out of the side rather than backing him to stay. But fans don’t see it that way.
Rohit Sharma has scored 891 runs since the start of 2025, behind Shubman Gill’s 974 and Virat Kohli’s 961. This year, he has scored 241 runs, behind Gill’s 484 and Kohli’s 310.
Pressure, even if the team management denies it, must play a role.As Rohit and Kohli prepare for what could be their last bilateral match in England, their contributions to the game have not been forgotten.“Obviously they’ve been great players for many years and it’s good to see them still playing the game,” the England captain said.
Harry Brock
he said before the third ODI, with the series locked at 1-1.Rohit has scored just 37 runs in the ongoing series, 11 in Birmingham and 26 in Cardiff, raising questions about whether the 39-year-old’s place in the Indian ODI squad is under threat.
Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak insisted there was no pressure to speak of.On Saturday, Morne Morkel added another arm around Rohit’s shoulder.“It’s hard work with the new ball up front. We’ve seen that throughout the series. The ball is moving.“So batting up front is not easy. There is no doubt that Rohit will solve this problem. He has done it in the past. He is experienced, he brings calmness to the line-up.”
“So, without a doubt, there are no concerns or concerns at all about the way he is handling things,” the South African added.His record at Lord’s does not inspire much confidence. The right-hander has played five matches in the field and scored just 133 runs, including 83 in a Test in 2021. In four white-ball matches, he has managed just 29 runs, with a highest score of 15 in 2018. In fact, his last match here ended with a 10-ball duck as England thrashed India by 100 runs.Hoping to change that, Rohit took part in an optional training session ahead of the third ODI alongside the side
Ishan Kishan
KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav and Prince Yadav.During a batting spell that lasted just over an hour, he faced Rohit Kuldeep, Mayank Yadav and the sidearm specialists. He looked pretty much in good shape and in control. During breaks, he would joke and laugh with members of the support staff. After finishing, he headed to the bench, took off his gear and had a long conversation with the coach
Gautam Gambhir
. Even before the net session, Rohit was seen standing next to Gambhir and Kotak on the Lord’s Terrace, laughing heartily.Even if this turns out to be the last ODI of Rohit Sharma’s illustrious career, there is no doubt that fans will turn out in droves to catch a final glimpse of one of India’s greatest cricketers at one of the game’s most iconic venues.
