Speculation surrounding Rohit Sharma’s retirement intensified in the last 24 hours, with multiple reports claiming that the third ODI against England at Lord’s could be the veteran opener’s final appearance for India. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now strongly refuted those claims, and has insisted that there has been no discussion about the 39-year-old playing his last ODI on Sunday.
The rumors gained momentum after reports in The Indian Express, PTI and IANS said that Rohit is no longer part of India’s long-term ODI plans apart from the ongoing England series. While those reports triggered widespread debate over Rohit’s future, BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia has publicly dismissed the speculations.
Reports have claimed that Lord’s ODI will be Rohit Sharma’s farewell match.
The news cycle of Rohit Sharma’s retirement started with a report in The Indian Express, which claimed that the 3rd ODI at Lord’s could be Rohit Sharma’s last match in Indian colours. According to the report, the BCCI senior selection committee had informed the former captain that he is not part of their plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
It also claimed that head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in discussions with Rohit before the England ODI series. The report quoted an unnamed BCCI source as saying that Rohit wanted to continue playing after improving his fitness, but the selectors had decided to go ahead, leaving the final decision on retirement to the batsman. The report also states that youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal are expected to get extended opportunities in the ODI setup going forward.
PTI later published a similar report, although with more caution. It claimed that the ODI that Rohit will play at Lord’s on Sunday could possibly be his last international match as the selectors are unlikely to retain him beyond the England tour. The report also highlighted Rohit’s recent ODI returns, in which he scored 241 runs at an average of over 30 in the last eight innings, while also adding that Virat Kohli reportedly remains in the selectors’ plans due to his fitness and performances.
IANS repeated the same broader narrative, reporting that Rohit was not expected to feature in India’s plans after the England series and Lord’s was being seen as his possible departure.
Reports have claimed that Yashasvi Jaiswal has been included as a replacement for Rohit Sharma.
A common thread across various reports was the selectors’ alleged desire to start planning with a young batting corps for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is among the players the selectors are looking to invest in in the coming months, with the left-handed opening batsman reportedly being seen as a long-term option at the top of the order.
The report suggests that moving on from Rohit Sharma will create opportunities for younger players to establish themselves ahead of the next 50-over World Cup. However, no reports indicated that the final decision was officially communicated by the BCCI
“Lord’s ODI will not be his last match”: BCCI on Rohit Sharma
Amidst growing speculations, BCCI’s stance on Rohit Sharma’s retirement finally became clear with Secretary Devjit Saikia categorically dismissing these reports.
“There has been a lot of speculation in the media about Rohit Sharma’s future. I want to strongly say that there has been no discussion that Rohit will play his last match at Lord’s on Sunday. Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team and will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the plan. In other words, Lord’s ODI will not be his last match,” Saikia told PTI in an exclusive interview.
The statement effectively distances the board from reports that Rohit’s final ODI was a foregone conclusion. Although Saikia did not directly address the claims of the selectors’ long-term plans, his comments made it clear that there has been no official decision to declare the Lord’s match as Rohit’s farewell appearance.
Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin defended Rohit Sharma while taking a dig at the selectors amid the retirement talk.