There is a big chance that the 3rd ODI of the ongoing India vs England ODI series could turn out to be the last international match for Indian legend Rohit Sharma as he has reportedly been informed by the BCCI’s selection committee that he’s not part of their plans for the 2027 World Cup.
Despite being largely in good form with the bat in the last couple of years, Rohit’s age has apparently been a cause of worry for the selectors as India ramp up their planning and preparations for next year’s World Cup, which is slated for October-November in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Rohit turned 39 in April and will be beyond the age of 40 by the time the World Cup 2027 rolls around in the latter half of next year.
The presence of excellent alternative opening options in Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad – and maybe even Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? – has put more pressure on Rohit to keep performing, more so after being removed as the ODI captain last year, with Shubman Gill being put at the helm of the ODI side along with his duty as the Test skipper, a role he got after Rohit retired from the longest format last year.
Rohit Sharma not in India’s scheme of things after the England tour – Reports
Last month against Afghanistan at home, Rohit recorded a couple of blazing knocks: 48 (39) in the 2nd ODI and 79 (69) in the 3rd ODI.
At that point, it seemed that Rohit had done enough in recent times, despite his retirement from T20Is and Tests, to hold onto his position as the ODI team’s senior opener for the rest of the year.
Since the start of 2025 to the end of the Afghanistan ODI series, Rohit was India’s third-highest ODI run scorer after Virat Kohli and Gill and managed an average of 45. He thumped two centuries and five fifties in this period, including a Man of the Match show in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai.
However, Rohit has failed to gain touch and rhythm in his two outings in England so far. In the first two IND vs ENG ODIs, Rohit scored 11 (21) and 26 (47) on pitches that had some more bounce and were slower than the surfaces in India.
Rohit’s average of 19.69 in 13 ODI innings in South Africa may also be considered a factor going against him, something that will be accentuated as he ages on.
Is Rohit Sharma retiring?
As per a report in the Indian Express, the BCCI selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, has informed Rohit that he isn’t in their plans after the ODI series in England and they are looking to “move on”. It is possible that the 3rd ODI against England at Lord’s could be Rohit’s last international match. However, Rohit purportedly is unhappy with the selectors, as he wishes to continue targeting the 2027 World Cup.
“The selectors have informed Rohit that he does not figure in their scheme of things after the England tour and they are moving on from him after this series. He wanted to continue, especially after working on his fitness. The selectors have left the ball in Sharma’s court,” a source told The Indian Express.
The news report added, “It is learnt that Sharma spoke to a few BCCI officials on the sidelines of the England series, and the opener wasn’t happy with the decision.”
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