Rohit Sharma (Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry photo)
New Delhi: The final ODI against England at Lord’s on Sunday may not be Rohit Sharma’s last match for India after all. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia on Saturday dismissed retirement speculation and reiterated that the first inauguration remains firmly in India’s FDI plans.The clarification comes amid uncertainty over Rohit Sharma’s future after it emerged that the veteran opener will no longer be an automatic selection outside the current England series, with selectors considering every ODI selection in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup.
However, Saikia said that no decision has been taken on Rohit’s future.“There is a lot of speculation doing the rounds in the media about Rohit Sharma’s future. I want to strongly stress that there has been no such discussion that Rohit will play his last match at Lord’s on Sunday,” Saikia said, as quoted by PTI.Saikia also made it clear that Rohit remains an integral part of India’s ODI setup.“Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team and will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the scheme of things. In other words, the Lord’s ODI will not be his last match,” the BCCI secretary confirmed.The Times Of India had earlier reported that Rohit is no longer guaranteed a place in India’s ODI XI, with selectors keen to assess each player in terms of form and fitness as preparations for the ODI World Cup 2027 accelerate. The assessment was that the door remained open for Rohit to continue, provided he continues to justify his place through performances. Rohit is currently 13 matches away from becoming only the eighth player in ODI history to make 300 appearances.