Rohit Sharma no more automatic pick after Lord’s ODIs

Rohit Sharma during India’s ODI series against England, with his future in the format now the subject of debate within Indian cricket. As Rohit Sharma trudged back to the pavilion after another rusty knock of 26 off 47 balls in the second ODI against England in Cardiff on Thursday, time may have run out on his international career. TOI understands that the selection committee has decided that he will not be the first-choice winner after the series, which ends in the third ODI at Lord’s on Sunday. As it stands, Sunday’s match could be the 39-year-old’s last for India.India were bowled out for 233 with Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer scoring fluent 65 and 66 respectively as England’s pacers once again took advantage of India’s batting struggles with bouncy deliveries. On Tuesday, TOI reported that the team management and selectors want to give younger players like Yashasvi Jaiswal a longer rope to prepare for the ODI World Cup in South Africa in October-November 2027, and that Rohit is unlikely to get a full squad if his form doesn’t match in this series.It is learned that the team management and selectors wanted to give Jaiswal a full series in England but stuck with Rohit to give him another chance to rediscover his fluency. Sources say that the selection committee and the team management have conveyed their views on Rohit to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It will be interesting to see whether the powerhouses in the board will speak to Rohit or the selectors will have a word with him.“The selectors decided to leave him out after the ODI series against Afghanistan at home last month. Rohit also refused to be rested for the third ODI in Chennai to allow Jaiswal to look in. In the end, captain Shubman Gill had to bat at No. 3 to accommodate Jaiswal,” a BCCI source told TOI.The team management has not been happy with Rohit’s performances since Gill replaced him as ODI captain after the Champions Trophy-winning campaign in March 2025. TOI reported on 19 May, ahead of the team selection for the Afghanistan series, that the BCCI had been informed of the doubts the cup selectors and team management had about Rohit’s fitness until he was up in the World40. years of age.Rohit’s approach to batting has completely changed after the Champions Trophy. He was calm and very careful in his approach. Management feels it needs three games to get going in the series. “It was always going to be a challenge for Rohit as he retired from the other two formats. He also plays very little domestic cricket. He played in two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches last season, one of which was against Sikkim. He needs more time to find his rhythm. The selectors have had their say. Now it’s up to Rohit and the board to decide how they want to go about it,” the source added.