Australian legend Matthew Hayden believes Rohit Sharma's potential appearance at the 2027 ODI World Cup relies entirely on his personal hunger, physical energy, and internal drive to manage elite cricket demands.
The retirement chatter surrounding Rohit intensified after he struggled for rhythm in the recent England tour, managing only 11 runs in the series opener at Edgbaston and a labored 26 off 47 balls during the second ODI at Cardiff.
Subsequently, several media outlets claimed selectors wanted to transition to younger players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and that the series finale at Lord's would be Rohit’s last international appearance.
However, the 39-year-old emphatically silenced his critics at Lord's, smashing 138 off 110 balls and becoming the first Indian batter to score an ODI century at the iconic venue.
With Rohit already retired from Test cricket and T20Is, Hayden believes only the veteran India opener can decide how long he wants to continue, with the IPL and international cricket both demanding a significant commitment.
"Look, when you get to the age Rohit is at, you start facing those questions. Before him, it was Virat, and before that, it was Gautam Gambhir. It just goes on and on. You can't play this beautiful game forever. When you reach that stage of your career, you're inevitably asked whether it will be the IPL or international cricket that goes first. Rohit has already retired from Test cricket, so ultimately, only he can know whether he still fights a lion to keep charging through what is an incredibly demanding schedule. You need a young man's energy to compete at the very highest level. So, in the end, it will be entirely his call," Hayden told ANI.
Following his Lord’s ton, Rohit Sharma had brushed off outside chatter, citing that his sole focus remains on performing on the field and contributing to the Indian team.
“My job is with the bat. Come and play, represent my country, represent my team. That's what I have been told to do since my debut so that's what I am going to do,” Rohit had said while speaking to BCCI.tv.
“The noise since I made my debut was there. And till the time I am going to stay here, it is always going to be there. So it doesn't really matter too much. What matters is what I do on the field, try and contribute to the success of the team. That's all my focus is right now. And let the noise be there. If there is no noise, there is no fun.”
Widely regarded as one of the greatest ODI batters of all time, Rohit Sharma has amassed 11,895 runs in 288 ODIs at an average of 48.95 and a strike rate of 93.04, including 34 centuries, 62 fifties and a best score of 264.
In 9 ODIs this year, Rohit has scored 379 runs in nine innings at an average of 42.11, with a hundred and fifty to his credit.
