Lord's ODI Will Not Be Rohit's Last: BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia Quashes Retirement Rumours

New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has moved to end weeks of speculation over Rohit Sharma’s ODI future, with secretary Devajit Saikia stating unequivocally that Sunday’s match at Lord’s will not be the captain’s final appearance in the 50-over format.

The BCCI secretary’s clarification was in response to reports that the team management was preparing to move on from the 39-year-old with an eye on the 2027 World Cup. He insisted there had been no such discussion within the board or selection committee.

In the meantime, India is set to take on England in the series decider at Lord’s on Sunday, with the series level after contests at Edgbaston and Cardiff. Amidst multiple speculations doing the rounds, the board has made it clear their skipper remains central to ODI plans.

Saikia Quashes Retirement Speculation

Devajit Saikia addressed the reports head-on, calling them unfounded, saying, "There are a lot of speculations going on in the 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."

He further underlined Rohit’s current standing, "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, the Lord's ODI won't be his last match."

However, Saikia did not commit to Rohit featuring at the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Reports Of A Transition Plan

The speculation gained traction after reports suggested that the team management has 2027 ODI World Cup plans without Rohit Sharma. According to the report, the management wanted to give a long run to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had been waiting in the wings of the ODI side.

Former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta also weighed in during the last ODI broadcast, suggesting Rohit Sharma appeared unsettled at the crease. "I just thought that mentally it just seemed like there was no clarity……The hallmark of his batting has always been the clarity of thought... But somehow I just got a feeling that he wanted to shift gears but couldn't. Those nine dot balls put him under a little bit of pressure, and then it's just that clarity wasn't there," Dasgupta stated.