Ashwin backs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli amidst retirement discussions
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has voiced strong support for senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, asserting that they cannot be easily dropped from the national team if they wish to continue playing. Ashwin’s comments follow a significant century by Rohit Sharma in the third and final ODI against England at Lord’s, which helped to quiet speculation about his future.
Despite India losing the match by 27 runs and the series 2-1, Rohit’s innings of 138 runs served as a reminder of his impact as a match-winner. Ashwin highlighted the credentials of both players, noting that Rohit has accumulated nearly 12,000 runs in his career, making it difficult for selectors to overlook him.
Public Support for Star Batters
Ashwin further explained that the immense public following for star batters like Rohit and Kohli makes their exclusion a challenging decision. He stated that dropping them would cause a significant public outcry, underscoring the strong fan base they command.
He contrasted this with the situation of bowlers, suggesting that while their absence might be questioned by a smaller number of people, it would not generate the same level of public noise as dropping a prominent batter. Ashwin expressed that if bowlers received similar public backing, it would also be difficult to exclude them from the squad.
The discussion around Rohit’s future in the ODI side intensified after reports indicated that the BCCI selection committee was considering moving on from him with an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup. These reports suggested an attempt to introduce younger players, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, into the team.
Prior to his century at Lord’s, Rohit had scores of 11 and 26 in the first two ODIs against England. His performance in the series decider, where he scored 138 runs off 110 balls, including 17 fours and five sixes, was crucial in keeping India’s chase of 388 runs alive until the final stages.
Rohit’s Response to Speculation
Following his match-winning knock, Rohit Sharma addressed the ongoing speculation about his career. He stated in an interview that external criticism and noise have always been a part of his journey since his debut and do not significantly affect him. His primary focus, he reiterated, is to perform for India on the field.
Reports from The Indian Express had previously suggested that the BCCI’s senior selection committee had communicated their decision to ‘move on’ from Rohit after the ODI series against England, with the 2027 World Cup in mind. This news reportedly led to a considerable uproar among fans on social media, who viewed it as an injustice to one of the sport’s prominent white-ball batters.
In response to the public reaction, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia issued a denial, clarifying that there were no plans to force Rohit into retirement. However, it was evident that pressure was being exerted on Rohit, as selectors aimed to overhaul the ODI side, which is the only format he has been actively playing.
Despite the challenges, Rohit has expressed his desire to play in the 2027 World Cup. He has not indicated any plans to retire from the 50-overs format before next year’s World Cup, instead appearing keen to conclude his career on a high note by winning the major trophy that has eluded him in white-ball cricket.
The pain of missing out on the 2011 World Cup squad is cited as a significant factor that fueled his determination and led to a remarkable transformation in his career. His childhood coach, Dinesh Lad, played a role in guiding him after this setback, encouraging him to improve his game and attitude.
Career Turnaround and Captaincy
A pivotal moment in Rohit Sharma’s career was his transition to opening the batting in ODIs in 2013. Since then, he has amassed 9,779 runs, maintaining an average of 55.24 at a strike rate of 96.47, which includes 31 centuries and 50 fifties. His notable achievements include scoring two double centuries in ODIs, a feat that made him the first player globally to do so.
Rohit has also had a strong record in World Cups. In the 2015 ODI World Cup, he scored 330 runs in eight games, with one century and two fifties. During the 2019 World Cup in England, he was particularly dominant, smashing a record five centuries and accumulating 648 runs in nine matches at an average of 81.
He took over the captaincy full-time in 2021 after Virat Kohli stepped down as India’s T20I captain. Under his leadership, India entered the 2023 World Cup at home as strong contenders. Rohit’s aggressive batting approach benefited the team, and he ended the tournament with 597 runs, the highest by a captain in a single edition of the World Cup.
Despite India’s impressive run of 10 consecutive victories in the 2023 World Cup, they ultimately lost to Australia in the final. Rohit later led India to the ICC Champions Trophy title in 2025. However, a dip in his batting form led to him losing the India captaincy. He continued to play as a batter, excelling without the added burden of leadership, scoring three fifties and a century in successive series against Australia and South Africa.
In 2025, he was among the top 10 run-getters, with 650 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 100.46, including two centuries and four fifties. However, 2026 began with a challenging period, as he struggled in a three-match series against New Zealand in January and scored 143 runs in three games against Afghanistan in June, with a highest score of 79 in the third game. His recent century at Lord’s came after a period where runs had been harder to come by, despite his efforts to maintain fitness for the upcoming World Cup.
Rohit’s captaincy record in ODIs is notable, with 42 victories out of 56 games, resulting in a win percentage of 75. This places him behind only legendary captains Clive Lloyd and Ricky Ponting, both of whom led their teams to two World Cup titles.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
