Since the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made the decision to strip Rohit Sharma of the ODI captaincy and to give the same to Shubman Gill, the future of Rohit in India has been clouded with uncertainty. Nevertheless, the 38-year-old during the just finished three-match ODI series with Australia demonstrated that class is still there and will always be there. He was the top scorer for India in the second and third ODIs, the latter of which contained a match-winning 121. He was eventually crowned Player of the Series. His recent performances have prompted former Indian cricketer and selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth to declare that the selection of Rohit for the 2027 Cricket World Cup is beyond doubt.
“Rohit is a certainty for the 2027 World Cup. We can’t play without him and Virat Kohli. Rohit Sharma has lost 11 kgs and looks super fit. It was the old Rohit Sharma, with the touch game. He was batting with such ease and playing the ball so late,” Srikkanth stated while being on his YouTube channel.
Rohit in the second ODI went through a tough time but managed to score with grit a knock of 73 runs.
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He looked to be back at his fluent best in the third ODI, where Rohit the experienced opener scored an unbeaten 121 runs as India won the match against Australia by nine wickets.
Rohit also exhibited his agility in the field during the series and took a couple of running catches as well.
“Don’t bring up this whole age issue that he (Rohit) is touching 40. He is fit, batting well and catching brilliantly at slips. What else do you need? He is playing with such ease like he did in the 2019 World Cup. The only thing is he didn’t get to the seventh or eighth gear and kept going at third and fourth gear,” Srikkanth said.
Srikkanth recommended the BCCI selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar should secure the places of Rohit and Kohli for the World Cup 2027. The pair put together an unbroken 168-run partnership in the third ODI.
“If I were the chairman of the selection committee, I would today go to them and say, ‘Just remain fit for the 2027 World Cup and bring back the trophy for us’,” Srikkanth was quoted as saying.
