Former India cricketer Parthiv Patel has stated that he expects Rohit Sharma to return to form with a pivotal century that will silence detractors amid rumors that the series-deciding third and final ODI against England would be the former captain’s final international match.
According to reports, Rohit has been informed by the national selectors that he will not be participating in the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Because of this, there is a chance that Rohit will either declare his retirement or be permanently benched following Sunday’s match. He has already given up playing in T20 Internationals and Tests.
“If the Lord’s ODI is indeed the last match of his career, Rohit Sharma would want to sign off with a century. He is more than capable of doing that. We’ve seen it throughout his career – after two or three low scores, he often bounces back with a match-winning knock in the very next innings,” PTI quoted Patel as saying on ‘JioStar’.
“The difference between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has always been consistency. Rohit may not score heavily in every game, but when he does, he plays a substantial innings and often ends up winning the Player of the Match award. He didn’t look comfortable in this game,” he added referring to the lost second ODI in which Rohit scored a 47-ball 26.
Patel admitted that Rohit struggled to find his flow in Cardiff because of the inconsistent bounce.
“But this is another opportunity for him to silence his critics. It has happened many times before, and he has always responded with the bat. So, if the Lord’s ODI is indeed his final match, I hope he plays an innings that people remember for a long time,” the former wicketkeeper-batter said.
While avoiding the rumors around the senior batter, former India captain Anil Kumble mentioned how his style is similar to those of Virat Kohli and England’s Joe Root.
“What makes Root, Kohli, and Rohit so successful is that their run-scoring looks effortless. They don’t premeditate. They react to the ball. They play low-risk, high-reward cricket rather than high-risk, high-reward cricket. When you have that kind of class, grace, and mindset, it makes life easier for the entire team,” he said.
