During the post-match press conference after the third ODI between India and England, captain Shubman Gill was directly asked about the rumors of Rohit Sharma’s retirement. The captain clarified that there has been no discussion in the dressing room regarding the future of the experienced batsman and speculation remains only outside the team.
In particular, rumors surrounding Rohit Sharma’s ODI future have dominated India’s preparations for the series-deciding third ODI against England at Lord’s. However, neither the experienced opener nor the Indian team management paid attention to the pre-match speculation and Rohit Sharma responded in fine style with a century despite India’s 27-run defeat.
Rohit Sharma shuts down retirement rumors and critics with sensational Lord’s century
The days leading up to the Lord’s ODI were filled with reports that Rohit Sharma was not part of India’s long-term ODI plans, with some claiming that this match could be his final appearance in the format.
Speculation ran rampant after reports emerged about India’s roadmap for the 2027 ODI World Cup, before the BCCI clarified that no decision has been taken on declaring Lord’s as Rohit’s farewell ODI.
Amidst that backdrop, Rohit Sharma let his bat do the talking. Chasing England’s mammoth target of 387/3, the former India captain produced one of the finest ODI innings of his career, scoring 138 runs off 110 balls with the help of 17 fours and five sixes.
He shared a 147-run partnership with Shubman Gill to help India chase the target strongly after Ben Duckett’s 141, Jacob Bethell’s 91 and Joe Root’s unbeaten 74 took England to the record score.
The legendary India opener completed his century in just 84 balls and was looking set to lead India to victory when he was bowled by Jacob Bethel in the 39th over when India were at 260. His dismissal changed the momentum, and despite Virat Kohli’s 74, India eventually finished on 360/7 and lost by 27 runs as England won the three-match ODI series 2–1.
“They didn’t tell us anything” – Shubman Gill on Rohit Sharma’s retirement
When asked if Rohit Sharma has talked to the team about retirement, Shubman Gill dismissed the speculation and said that no such conversation took place inside the dressing room.
“We haven’t had any conversations, they haven’t told us anything. We haven’t had any conversations about anything like this. It’s all in the media, but there has been no discussion like that,” Gill told reporters at the post-match press conference.
Gill’s comments echo the position maintained by the Indian camp throughout the series. While retirement news was making headlines before the match, neither Rohit nor the team management publicly indicated that Lord’s would be his final appearance in the ODI format.
“I think Rohit bhai was very calm the way he faced the bowlers” -Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill also praised Rohit’s approach during his century opening stand and said that the experienced opener assessed the conditions thoroughly before accelerating. Gill said:
“I think the way Rohit bhai faced the bowlers, he was very calm. Most of the time, I was a non-striker and looking at him, he was very calm.”
“In the powerplay, we were talking about whether to hit or not, but we saw that it is not so easy to hit with the new ball. And I think the way he faced the bowlers, and the way he increased the pace, I think he got closer to 60-70 early. So, he was very calm.”
Although Rohit’s century was not enough to prevent India from losing the match and the series, his innings served as a timely reminder of his quality amid intense scrutiny over his ODI future. For now, Gill has made one thing clear: retirement discussions remain outside the Indian dressing room.
