BCCI secretary defends Rohit Sharma's ODI future amid retirement speculation

Rohit Sharma (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has pushed back against growing speculation over Rohit Sharma's ODI future, insisting that the former India captain is continuing to perform at a high level and questioning why his place in the side is being debated. Speaking after a high-level Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) review meeting in Mumbai on Thursday, Saikia offered a firm defence of the 39-year-old, whose future has again become a major talking point with the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching. “He is playing superbly in all the matches. So, what more do you want? In the last match, he scored 138 runs. So, why there is a speculation? So, I don't want to give fodder to the speculations,” Saikia said. His comments came amid reports that selectors had considered moving on from Rohit in their ODI plans, potentially leaving his participation in the 2027 World Cup in doubt.

Rohit answered speculation with Lord's century

The speculation intensified during India's ODI tour of England earlier this year, with reports suggesting the Lord's ODI could be Rohit's final appearance in an India shirt. Instead, Rohit responded in characteristic fashion — with a match-defining performance. He smashed 138 at Lord's, becoming the oldest Indian to score an ODI century at the iconic venue, although his effort came in a losing cause. The innings once again demonstrated why questions over his future have been accompanied by equally strong arguments for his retention. Following the England tour, Rohit made it clear that the constant speculation did not concern him. “If there's no noise, there's no fun. My job is inside; their job is outside. That's how I look at it,” he had said. “The noise since I made my debut was there. And till the time I'm going to stay here, it's always going to be there. It doesn't really matter too much. What matters is what I do on the field. I want to try and contribute to the success of the team. That's all my focus is.”

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Rohit retired from Test cricket in 2025 and from T20Is in 2024, leaving ODI cricket as his only remaining international format. The latest comments from Saikia came after a meeting attended by head coach Gautam Gambhir, ODI captain Shubman Gill, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, BCCI president Mithun Manhas and Saikia. The secretary had already backed Rohit before the Lord's match, saying on July 17: “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.” Rohit's age remains an unavoidable part of the discussion. He will turn 40 in 2027, the year of the next ODI World Cup, and India will inevitably have to consider succession planning.

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