All posts tagged: Rohit Sharma

The most complete batsman who was incomplete

The most complete batsman who was incomplete

Published by Webster

6 min readJul 30, 2026 07:04 PM IST With his characteristic bashful smile, Ajinkya Rahane announced his farewell from the game that was his life for the last twenty years. In an Instagram video that was as crisp as his punches through covers, he said in a deeply philosophical tone: “The reality of life is that everything has a beginning and everything has an end. When the time comes, we simply have to respect it and move forward.” If there was a hint of regret in his voice, in the uncertainty his career traversed in the last three years, in the greatness it felt agonisingly short of, his smile did well to conceal it, as it had through the thick and thin of his career. In the two minutes, 22 seconds video, he reflected on his greatest virtue, the gift of timing. It was about guts and grit too, his career of 8413 international runs, 5077 off them in 85 Tests, is defined not so much by the sheer numbers as by the immensity of …

Former batter warns India ODI team

Former batter warns India ODI team

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3 min readJul 27, 2026 03:37 PM IST With only 15 months to go for the 2027 ODI World Cup, the suspense over the futures of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continues to absorb the discussion whenever India take the field in the format. India’s recent 1-2 series defeat to England has intensified the various discussions about the senior duo and their role in the squad in the months ahead. However, both Rohit and Kohli endured mixed outings in the series as India appeared to be a settled unit in England. ALSO READ |  Rohit Sharma’s Lord’s century didn’t answer India’s real question Former India wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta has insisted that India cannot afford Rohit and Kohli to take a couple of games to find their rhythm while returning for ODI assignments from prolonged breaks. While the 39-year-old Rohit aggregated 175 runs in three innings in England, Kohli made 144 runs from as many outings. “That has to be a conversation with everyone, not just them (Kohli and Rohit), that they have to start the …

Rohit Sharma’s Lord’s century didn’t answer India’s real question | Cricket News

Rohit Sharma’s Lord’s century didn’t answer India’s real question | Cricket News

Published by Webster

6 min readJul 24, 2026 09:17 PM IST India have lost six of the nine away ODIs they have played under head coach Gautam Gambhir. Rohit Sharma, India’s highest run-scorer and the only centurion in overseas ODIs outside Asia in this period, remains the batter closest to losing his spot. Nudging 40, age appears to have become the defining metric of Rohit’s readiness. Not the runs or range of his batting. Rohit is the only opener to aggregate over 1000 runs since last year and is India’s highest run-scorer in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup. A run of five innings without a fifty was enough for conversations around retirement and succession to gather pace mid-way through this year. A cold snub when the selectors meet again for the next assignment in September cannot be ruled out. Rohit has not thrown in the towel yet. His blockbuster 34th century in the series decider against England at Lord’s last Sunday confirmed as much. But lost beneath India’s eventual 27-run defeat in a colossal 388 chase was …

Openers, all-rounders, pace: India’s World Cup puzzle has no fixed pieces | Cricket News

Openers, all-rounders, pace: India’s World Cup puzzle has no fixed pieces | Cricket News

Published by Webster

With the 2027 ODI World Cup some fourteen months away, India face an uncomfortable question: how ready are they for a tournament they haven’t won since 2011? Going by the evidence, not very. This remains a team yet to settle its best XI, and the uncertainty has begun to show in the performances themselves. None of this is a talent problem. This remains one of the deepest squads in world cricket. The risk is self-inflicted: a side this talented undone by its own indecision rather than by an opponent. The recent series in England exposed a side still short on balance, and further still from identifying the core group it will carry into South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia before the southern hemisphere summer sets in. That imbalance isn’t only about personnel. Few players in this set-up are certain of their spot or their role, and that uncertainty runs from the top of the order to the bottom. The danger is that a muddle like this rarely stays confined to the XI. It breeds an insecurity …

Shastri hails Rohit Sharma’s Lord’s century

Shastri hails Rohit Sharma’s Lord’s century

Published by Webster

3 min readJul 21, 2026 02:00 PM IST Rohit Sharma’s spot in India’s ODI squad had come under the scanner ahead of last weekend’s series decider against England at Lord’s. It was understood that the national selectors had had a word with Rohit, indicating that they were set to move on from him post the England tour. However, the Mumbaikar came up with his own emphatic response, smashing an 84-ball century during a 388-run chase in London. The 39-year-old Rohit finished with a solid knock of 138 off 110, striking 17 fours and 4 sixes and proving his detractors wrong in the process. ALSO READ | Gambhir draws flak for KL Rahul change: ‘Like you screwed up Samson, Sooryavanshi’ Rohit’s century was the first by an Indian batter at Lord’s, but it wasn’t enough to push India to the finishing line as they fell short of 27 runs while chasing a mammoth total and lost the series 2-1. Former India coach Ravi Shastri, who watched the game from the commentary box, hailed Rohit’s knock, his …

R Ashwin says duo undroppable from ODI squad

R Ashwin says duo undroppable from ODI squad

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2 min readUpdated: Jul 21, 2026 09:12 AM IST Former India spinner R Ashwin said that the team management cannot drop senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as long as they are committed to ODI cricket. Ashwin’s comments came shortly after India’s ODI series in England was decided on Sunday at Lord’s, where Rohit banished questions of his retirement with his 34th century in the format, albeit in a losing cause. The 39-year-old Rohit led a steep 388 chase with an 84-ball century that he converted to a score of 138, making it the first century by an Indian man at Lord’s. ALSO READ | Why India pacers struggle in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence? Ashwin highlighted the massive fan bases and popularity of both Rohit and Kohli, claiming that dropping the duo from the format would spark a huge uproar among the masses. “They cannot touch Virat and Rohit if they want to play. It is because of their credentials. Rohit has scored almost 12,000 runs; they cannot touch him. The other thing is that …

Why India pacers struggle in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence?

Why India pacers struggle in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence?

Published by Webster

5 min readJul 20, 2026 06:36 PM IST When Rohit Sharma admitted after Sunday’s ODI series-decider defeat to England that India’s bowling attack was “inexperienced”, he was stating the obvious. Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar have played a combined 27 ODIs between them. But England’s victory also exposed a deeper issue. India’s reserve fast bowlers are still trying to master a format that has changed over the last few years. Jasprit Bumrah’s absence was always going to weaken India. Mohammed Siraj’s absence only added to India’s problems. But if they are to succeed without Bumrah before next year’s World Cup, the question is not whether the backup seamers are inexperienced. It is whether they possess the skill set modern ODI cricket now demands. Sunday’s match was effectively decided in the first 10 overs. Depth exposed England were only 58/0, but Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell had already identified India’s biggest problem. Arshdeep found movement, Prince sprayed the ball on either side of the wicket, and Prasidh Krishna, despite recovering late in the powerplay, …

Kamran Akmal on Rohit Sharma’s 138 vs England: ‘Today’s innings was his answer’ | Cricket News

Kamran Akmal on Rohit Sharma’s 138 vs England: ‘Today’s innings was his answer’ | Cricket News

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Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal reacted to Rohit Sharma’s performance in the third and final ODI against England at Lord’s, stating that despite the loss, his 138 off 110 balls was the story of the day. Akmal felt that the 39-year-old responded to his critics with his knock and innings like the one on Sunday indicated why he should be backed moving forward. “Overall, England deserved to win the series, but Rohit Sharma’s century was the biggest story of the day. It was a statement innings from a player who reminded everyone why he is still one of the world’s best ODI batters. There was so much speculation about his future. Rumours were being spread that he was no longer part of India’s plans and wouldn’t make it to the 2027 World Cup. Today, Rohit answered all of those questions with his bat,” he said on “The Game Plan” podcast. “Today’s innings was his answer. There was talk that he should be moved aside, but performances like this show why great players should be judged …

‘No noise, no fun’: Rohit dismisses retirement speculation after Lord’s hundred | Cricket News

‘No noise, no fun’: Rohit dismisses retirement speculation after Lord’s hundred | Cricket News

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: Jul 20, 2026 11:55 AM IST India opener Rohit Sharma dismissed speculations of his ODI future, insisting that he remains fully committed to continuing in the role after smashing a record-breaking hundred against England at Lord’s on Sunday. After an iffy start to the series with scores of 11 and 26, Rohit’s spot had come under scrutiny. The former India skipper had endured a lean run up until the series decider in England, scoring just 241 runs in eight innings, averaging 30.12 and a strike rate of 88.60. The Indian Express had reported that while Rohit remains determined in his role towards the 2027 ODI World Cup, the selection committee wants to give youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has been waiting in the wings, a chance, in the forthcoming chances. “Look, my job is with the bat, come and play, represent my country, represent the team. That’s what I’ve been told to do since I made my debut so that’s what I’m going to do. The noise, since I made my debut, …