BCCI Secretary Addresses Rohit Sharma's ODI Future Speculation

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia dismissed speculation regarding Rohit Sharma's future in One Day Internationals (ODIs), stating that the upcoming match at Lord's will not be his last international appearance. Saikia firmly asserted that there have been no discussions implying that Rohit would play his final match against England on Sunday, July 17, 2026. He emphasized that "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, the Lord's ODI won't be his last match."

The speculation about Rohit's retirement escalated during the second ODI on July 14, 2026, in Cardiff, where he scored 26 runs off 47 balls. His performance in the first ODI at Edgbaston on July 12, 2026, was disappointing as he managed only 11 runs from 21 balls. Despite the scrutiny, India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak expressed confidence in Rohit's abilities, suggesting that fans could expect a "completely different innings" from him at Lord's.

Cricinfo reported that selectors had spoken to Rohit earlier, indicating they would start giving opportunities to younger openers eyeing the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa. Discussions regarding Rohit's position reportedly began during IPL 2026 and involved head coach Gautam Gambhir. Rohit, 39, had become the oldest male cricketer to play an ODI for India, surpassing Mohinder Amarnath's record during a match against Afghanistan in June.

Over the past year, Rohit has only played ODIs after retiring from T20Is following the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph and stepping down from Test cricket in May 2025. He is the seventh-highest run-scorer in ODIs with 11,757 runs at an average of 48.58 and holds the record for the highest individual score in the format at 264, along with being the only player to have three double-centuries in ODIs.