Shubman Gill Asked About Rohit Sharma's 'Last ODI' Buzz After 138 vs England. His Reply
Rohit Sharma has played many memorable knocks in his career. He has three double centuries in ODIs, 33 centuries - seven of those coming in World Cups. Yet his 34th ODI ton, which came against England at Lord's on Sunday, was probably his most important century
- Rohit Sharma scored his 34th ODI century against England at Lords, his first ODI hundred there
- "He (Rohit) has not told us anything about it being his last game," Shubman Gill said after the match
- Rohit's ton wasn't enough to prevent a 27-run defeat in the third ODI against England
Rohit Sharma has played many memorable knocks in his career. He has three double centuries in ODIs, 33 centuries - seven of those coming in World Cups. Yet his 34th ODI ton, which came against England at Lord's on Sunday, was probably his most important century. It was a pressure situation for the former India captain. With each passing day, there are more questions about whether he can maintain top form until the World Cup 2027.
With his back against the wall and an illustrious career on the line, Rohit Sharma silenced his critics in true Hitman style, smashing one of his most celebrated centuries in recent memory, though it wasn't enough to prevent a 27-run defeat in the third ODI against England, as India surrendered the series 1-2 on Sunday.
Despite Rohit's magnificent 138, Shubman Gill's 77 and Virat Kohli's 74, India only managed 360 for 7 in pursuit of a mammoth target of 388 built on the back of a career-best 142 from Ben Duckett and 91 from Jacob Bethell.
The 13-ball 41 from Jos Buttler proved to be the decisive factor as England scored 82 in their last five overs.
With speculation that the selectors and the head coach were ready to move on from Rohit, the 39-year-old former skipper faced enormous pressure going into the third and final game.
Rohit walked onto the hallowed turf of Lord's with a dual target: winning a series for India and saving his legacy, which was being tarnished by constant speculation from a section of the media.
He didn't raise his bat after completing his 34th ODI hundred - the first by an Indian batter at Lord's. Nor did he acknowledge the standing ovation from the Members' Balcony after a 110-ball knock stitched with heart, hurt, and sweat.
After the match, India captain Shubman Gill was asked about media reports surrounding Rohit's future. Gill replied: "He (Rohit) has not told us anything about it being his last game. It is all out in the media only."
"[On Rohit and Kohli's contributions to Indian cricket] I mean, they have done really well over the years in different parts of the world. And very, very pleased with how Rohit Bhai batted today, especially getting 140. And I think the wicket got a little bit slow in the end. It wasn't easy to score those runs. But I think the way he batted was really a treat to watch."
It was the last time he played an ODI in England, and people would talk for a long time about how an ageing star showed resolve.
A stand of 147 with skipper Gill and 113 with his old pal Kohli raised visions of an improbable victory.
For Rohit, there were 17 boundaries and five sixes - three off Josh Tongue - a pull, one down the ground, and one wide of long-on. There was also a pulled six off Sam Curran (4/75 in 10 overs), who proved to be the bowling hero for England.
While India lost the series, one thing is all but certain: neither Rohit nor Kohli will be going anywhere until the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.
With PTI inputs
Rohit Sharma
India Cricket Team
England Cricket Team