Rohit Sharma ended the Australia ODI series on a high with a brilliant unbeaten century in the third game in Sydney. Thanks to his 121* and 168*-run unbeaten partnership with Virat Kohli (74*), India won the match by 9 wickets on October 25.
Though India lost the series 1-2 under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made a good impression on their India comeback after seven months. Kohli made ducks in the first two ODIs, while Rohit Sharma made 8 and 73 in the first two games.
Reacting to Rohit’s brilliant knock, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif stated that the ex-India captain knows he will need to perform to hold onto his spot in the Indian team, which is why he abandoned his aggressive batting style.
Rohit was removed as India's captain in ODIs after India won the ICC Champions Trophy, after he retired from tests in May this year. With him already retired from T20Is, there were questions over his fitness and place in the Indian XI. However, he responded by top-scoring for India and winning the player of the series award despite the team losing the series 2-1.
“I think it is about captaincy. Now he is playing solely as a batter. He will be cautious. He is not a captain or a leader. He is not pressured by setting the example of leading from the front by hitting a six on the first ball. He has played a lot of balls,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
When Rohit was captain of the Indian team in 2022, 2023, and 2024, he finished three straight calendar years with strike rates above 100.
Rohit made 180 runs at a strike rate of precisely 100 in five games at the 2025 Champions Trophy. Rohit got 202 runs in three games during the ODI series against Australia, although his strike rate was 85.59.
“Rohit knows people will judge him by the number of runs he scores. He won’t go for a 20-ball 40-run cameo. He knows he has to play big knocks. He will take fewer risks and take his innings deep. It is now clear that he won’t throw away his wicket,” Kaif concluded.
Rohit Sharma, along with Virat Kohli, is expected to feature in the Indian squad when they face South Africa in a three-ODI series in November.
