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Rohit Sharma silenced the critics again and is expected to remain in the race for selection for the 2027 ODI World Cup after scoring two consecutive impressive innings in the recently concluded series against Afghanistan.
On Saturday (June 20), the veteran opener brought up his half-century to set the tone for India in the run chase at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Rohit Sharma returned after scoring 79 runs.
Rohit Sharma set the tone for India in the run chase
If Rohit had scored two more runs in the last match in Dharamshala, he could have added another half-century in the ODI. He returned after scoring 48 runs to form a strong partnership with captain Shubman Gill. In the first match of the three-match ODI series, Rohit’s innings ended due to an unfortunate runout, due to which he had to leave the field after scoring only 16 runs.
After the third match, former Indian fast bowler Mohit Sharma said that Rohit’s running between the wickets has impressed him a lot. Even after reaching the 50-run mark, the 39-year-old kept himself ready to double down on the track with his 24-year-old batting partner, showing how Rohit Sharma is keen to positively leave his mark behind the team’s success.
Rohit’s running between the wickets impresses Mohit Sharma
Mohit Sharma on Cricbuzz said, “If we look at it from the perspective of ODI World Cup 2027, everything is on track with Rohit. The biggest positive for me was when Rohit got the runs in the doubles with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Earlier, it used to be that you score 50 runs in the heat, you get tired, but here he was showing the intent to score that extra run while running between the wickets. It is amazing how much he performed for India. Yes, the questions being raised should stop.”
Since the top three batsmen – Shubhman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal – have scored a good amount of runs against Afghanistan, it is going to be a headache for the team management as they will face challenges in selecting openers in the future.
“There will be a big headache now that Yashasvi has scored an unbeaten century. The healthy competition between them will continue in the coming series, but what will happen when KL Rahul returns to the team? Will Yashasvi or Rohit be dropped? It is now completely up to the team management,” Manoj Tiwary said on Cricbuzz.
There are doubts about his fitness
Former Indian batsman Tiwary highlighted that Rohit Sharma needs to continue working on his fitness with the help of trainers and physios to remain on top of his game ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
He said, “He is working hard on his fitness; there is no doubt about that. But if there is any question about fitness, then the trainers and physio also have to help him get to top fitness. Now, he has fielded for 50 overs and then batted as well; it did not look like there was any question mark over his fitness.”
