Rohit Sharma has given the perfect answer to all the retirement rumors with his record-breaking century in the third and final ODI between India and England at Lord’s. Even though India lost the ODI series 2-1 to England, Rohit Sharma’s innings once again proved that he is still one of the most important players of the team.
Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim believes that Rohit’s century has completely put an end to the ongoing discussion about his ODI future. He believes India should stop talking about Rohit’s retirement now and urged the think tank to focus on fixing the bowling problems ahead of the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup. Meanwhile, Kris Srikkanth gave his honest verdict on Gautam Gambhir after the England series defeat.
Record-breaking inning proves that Rohit Sharma is still India’s biggest match-winner
Rohit Sharma was under a lot of pressure before the third ODI at Lord’s. He had scored only 11 and 26 runs in the first two matches, and reports claimed that the selectors were already planning a future without him and were ready to groom young players for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.
But the former Indian captain came back and played one of the best innings of his ODI career. Chasing a mammoth target of 388 runs, he scored 138 runs in just 110 balls. Meanwhile, amidst the talk of retirement, Kamran Akmal praised Rohit Sharma’s century.
During the innings, he also became the first Indian batsman and the oldest player to score an ODI century at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground. However, the Men in Blue fell 27 runs short of the target against England.
Rohit Sharma’s Lord’s century puts all retirement rumors to rest: Saba Karim on Rohit Sharma’s performance
Saba Karim said that Rohit’s century is one of the biggest positives of the England tour. He also praised captain Shubman Gill for leading the team from the front. The former Indian selector admitted that India’s batting looks strong for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.
“India have ticked a lot of boxes. Rohit’s century put an end to all the speculations around him. Shubman Gill scored runs, batted with a lot of positivity and showed impressive leadership. So, I don’t see any major problems with the batting. India’s focus now should be on identifying the right fast bowling attack if Jasprit Bumrah is not available,” Karim said on JioHotstar’s Match Center Live.
Saba Karim identified India’s biggest problem
However, the former BCCI official believes that India’s biggest problem is the fast bowling attack, especially when Jasprit Bumrah is not available. Bumrah could not play in the final ODI due to a left knee injury and England’s batsmen took full advantage of his absence.
Karim feels that India’s upcoming five-match ODI series in New Zealand will be very important, adding that the tour will help the team find the right combination ahead of the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.
The former Indian selector further explained, “In these conditions, our young and inexperienced fast bowlers have struggled a bit. That’s why the upcoming five-match ODI tour of New Zealand will be a real test to evaluate these combinations.”
He said, “You need a wrist spinner who can give wickets in the middle overs. Whether it is Kuldeep Yadav or someone else, that is a different discussion. India need to plan more thoroughly according to the opposition, conditions and dimensions of the field and then go into the field with the right resources and the right combination.”
