Rumours are rife that Lord's ODI could mark the final match of Rohit's international career.
Veteran India opener Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir shared a light-hearted moment on the Lord's balcony ahead of the third ODI against England, amid the rumors of his international retirement.
The reports of retirement gathered pace after Rohit’s struggles in the first two ODIs against England at Edgbaston and Cardiff. However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia on Friday (July 17) firmly denied the speculation that the 39-year-old will call it quits at Lord’s.
“There are a lot of speculations going on in the media about Rohit Sharma’s future. I want to firmly assert that there has been no such discussion that Rohit will be playing his last match at Lord’s on Sunday,” Saikia told RevSportz.
A day later, Rohit attended India's optional training session at iconic ground. The former India skipper was seen having discussions with Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak in a desperate bid to regain his form for the series-decider.
On the eve of the game, India bowling coach Morne Morkel also threw his weight behind Rohit Sharma, saying the seasoned campaigner had overcome similar phases before.
"It has been difficult against the new ball with it moving around. No doubt Rohit Sharma will work that out, he has done it in the past. Rohit has that experience, and I am sure he will come out of it," Morkel said in the presser.
While Saikia’s statement confirmed that Rohit’s international career will continue past this weekend, he didn’t provide a clear picture whether the latter remains part of India's plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
“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,” the BCCI secretary stated.
Earlier, it was reported that selectors aim to transition to younger talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, as the team builds a formidable squad for the quadrennial event.
Before Lord’s ODI, the reports of friction between Rohit and Gambhir also emerged in the media. However, Saturday's interaction painted a very different picture as the duo spent time chatting and laughing at the Lord's balcony before India's optional training session.