‘Let the noise be there’: Rohit Sharma dismisses retirement talk after brilliant Lord’s century

Rohit Sharma (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: Ahead of the third ODI against England at Lord’s, there was much speculation that Rohit Sharma might play his last one-day international for India. The seasoned opener responded to those rumors in his own style, smashing a brilliant 138 off 110 balls. His innings included 17 fours and five sixes and he almost led India to a record chase.England posted a massive 387/3 and despite Rohit’s brilliant efforts, India lost the series finale by 27 runs.Speaking to BCCI.tv after the match, Rohit said that he does not pay attention to outside noise and remains focused only on helping the team.“Look, my job is with the bat. Come and play. Represent my country, represent the team. That’s what I’ve been told to do since my debut. So I’ll do it,” Rohit said.“The noise… Ever since I made my debut, it’s been there and till I stay here, it will always be there. So it doesn’t matter too much. What matters is what I do on the field. To try to contribute to the team’s success. That’s all I’m focused on now,” said the former India captain.“And let the noise be there. You know there’s no noise. It’s no fun. My job is inside, their job is outside, so that’s how I look at it,” Rohit added.

Rumors of retirement ahead of Lord’s ODIs

Speculations were rife on social media ahead of the Lord’s match that this could be Rohit’s final ODI in Indian colours.Instead, the 38-year-old reminded everyone of his class with one of his best ODI knocks, keeping India in the chase till the closing stages.Earlier, The Tech Word News reported that Rohit’s place in India’s ODI XI was no longer guaranteed, with the selectors planning to select players based on form and fitness as preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup begin. The report added that the door remains open for Rohit to continue, provided he continues to perform consistently.Rohit is currently just 12 matches away from becoming only the eighth player in ODI history to play 300 matches. He played 288 ODIs and scored 11,895 runs at an average of 48.95, including 38 centuries and 62 fifties.

BCCI clears the air

Amid speculations, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia rubbished reports that Lord’s ODI would be Rohit’s last match for India.“There is a lot of speculation in the media about Rohit Sharma’s future. I want to firmly confirm that there was no such discussion about Rohit playing his last match at Lord’s on Sunday,” Saikia told PTI.He also made it clear that the veteran opener remains part of India’s ODI plans.“Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team and will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the scheme of things. In other words, Lord’s ODI will not be his last match,” the BCCI secretary confirmed.

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