The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has dismissed speculation that Sunday’s third and final ODI against England at Lord’s will be Rohit Sharma’s last appearance in the format, saying the India captain remains very much part of the team’s future plans.
Rumours about Rohit’s retirement gathered pace ahead of the series decider, but BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia categorically denied that any such discussion had taken place. “There are lot of speculations going on in media about Rohit Sharma’s future. I want to firmly assert that there has been no such discussion that Rohit will be playing his last match at Lord’s on Sunday,” Saikia told PTI.
He reiterated that Rohit continues to be a key member of India’s ODI setup. “Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team and he will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the scheme of things. In other words, Lord’s ODI won’t be his last match,” Saikia said.
The clarification comes amid growing debate over the 38-year-old batter’s future after he managed scores of 11 and 26 in the first two matches of the England series. Despite the recent lean patch, Rohit has repeatedly expressed his ambition to continue playing until the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.
The three-match ODI series is currently level at 1-1, with the winner of Sunday’s contest at Lord’s set to claim the series.