BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has denied any chat with veteran cricketer Rohit Sharma about a possible retirement after the third ODI against England at the iconic Lordโs on July 19. He cleared the air that the upcoming match will be his last dance in international cricket and added that the Mumbai batter will continue to represent the nation as long as he proves to be a key member of the squad.
โThere are lot of speculations going on in media about Rohit Sharma’s future. I want to firmly assert that there has been no such discussion that Rohit will be playing his last match at Lord’s on Sunday. Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team and he will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the scheme of things. In other words, Lord’s ODI won’t be his last match,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told PTI.
India batting coach backs Rohit
Despite scrutiny over Rohit’s recent form, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak backed the veteran opener, insisting he is under no pressure heading into the series finale.
โSee, I don’t think a big player like Rohit Sharma can have any sort of pressure. He’s too good a player to feel that. Yes, he didn’t get runs in the opening two matches, but I don’t think that makes any difference. But today, it also looked like he’d probably get a good inning out. But that’s okay,โ Kotak told reporters in the post-match press conference.
Rohit hasnโt informed anyone about retirement
According to Cricinfo, Rohit has not communicated any decision on his retirement to the BCCI, the national selectors or the Indian team management. His retirement has been a hot topic in the last couple of days, especially given his struggling form at the moment, but there has been no official communication from either of the stakeholders.
Meanwhile, India will next play an ODI series against Sri Lanka in September. Ahead of that, Rohit needs to prove his mettle in the Lordโs ODI to absolutely cement his spot. Or else, the discussion regarding his future may not stop anytime soon.ย
Also Read: