Shubman Gill has shut down Rohit Sharma's retirement rumours following India's 27-run defeat at the hands of England in the third ODI at the Lord's. The intense scrutiny surrounding Rohit Sharma's international career reached a boiling point following a series of report leaks from the second ODI in Cardiff. The report suggested that BCCI and the national team management had excluded the veteran opener from their long-term strategy for the 2027 ODI World Cup and Lord's outing will be Hitman's last dance in international cricket. The decision-makers had reportedly resolved to transition away from the 39-year-old icon in order to integrate younger talents, most notably the prolific Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has been eagerly waiting for a consistent run in the format.
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Shubman Gill on Rohit Sharma's retirement buzz
However, BCCI then made it clear that Rohit isn't going anywhere and will continue to serve India as long as he is in the scheme of things. And what happened at the Lord's proved why Rohit has a towering stature in ODI cricket. The former India captain roared with the bat and cracked a robust 138, albeit in India's losing cause.
Right after the match, Gill turned up for the post-match press conference and clearly stated that Rohit hasn't told the management anything and all the retirement buzz is nothing but media talks.
"Rohit Sharma has not told us anything. No discussion in the team; it’s all media talk," Gill said.
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Rohit Sharma roars at Lord's with robust ton
India lost the match but Rohit produced a knock to remember for ages. The former India captain lit up the historic Lord's Cricket Ground by blasting a spectacular century off just 85 deliveries. He went on to hammer a masterful 138 runs from 110 balls, officially surpassing Sourav Ganguly to claim the record for the highest individual ODI score by an Indian batter at the venue.
This historic knock marked Rohit's 34th century in the ODI format, breaking a lean patch of 11 innings without a three-figure score. Furthermore, the milestone marked his 8th ODI hundred on English soil, solidifying his record as the most successful overseas batter in England's cricket history and ensuring his final impression in the country was one of pure brilliance.
India lost the series 1-2 but Rohit proved why is one of the best ODI batters in modern cricket.