Where is the assassin? Rohit Sharma forms a growing interest in India's ODI World Cup plans

Rohit Sharma walks back after getting out in the second ODI TimesofIndia.com in Cardiff: Rohit Sharma collected just 37 runs from two ODIs against England in Birmingham and Cardiff. A 21-ball 11 at Edgbaston was followed by a 47-ball 26 at Sophia Gardens here on Thursday. For someone who once tore through attacks at the top of the order, his workmanlike approach has made him a walking wicket and a bowler’s dream. Over two innings, he managed just two boundaries and a six at a strike rate of 54.41. Where is ‘Hitman’?Of the 21 balls he faced at Edgbaston, 14 were dots, or 66.67 per cent. Move to the second ODI and the pattern remained the same. Out of 47 balls, 28 were dots, i.e. almost 60 percent. Look closer and the scratchy nature of the innings becomes even clearer.Second ball at Edgbaston, the 39-year-old slowly got the bat out of the way on a delivery from Jofra Archer. It took the bat and flew to the chute. Two balls later, Archer left Rohit in two minds whether to play or walk out and the indecision resulted in an inside edge that almost overturned the stumps. In Archer’s next over, Rohit pushed forward but was beaten on the outside edge. The next ball beat him again, this time on the inside edge. One ball later, the right-hander was halved. Josh Tongue also sent Rohit into chaos with his 140 kmph deliveries.

India’s Rohit Sharma walks off the field after being caught by England’s Jos Buttler during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP | PTI)

Even as the Nataraj shot came in the form of a boundary, the fluency that was once expected of Rohit and defined the ‘Mumbai cha Raja’ remained missing.Transfer to Cardiff on Thursday.In Archer’s first over, Rohit was bowled on the inside edge on a front foot jab. In the sixth over, Saqib Mahmood strayed onto Rohit’s pads but his bread-and-butter shot missed. In the 12th over, Gus Atkinson smacked a short ball and Rohit, one of the better movers in this team, missed it completely. Two overs later, Rohit bowled another short ball which luckily for him landed safely between long leg and deep backward square leg.Finally, the statement summed up how Rohit has been scraping by lately. When Will Jacks attacked, Rohit went down on one knee to sweep. Instead, he bowled a ball that comfortably lobbed past wicketkeeper Jose Buttler.

It’s not just these two games. The former Indian captain looked uncomfortable in the net as well. Before the series got underway, he opted to face the handgun specialists during the second session of the net and had to switch ends after a point as he struggled to find his timing. He later went a step further with the open-nets approach, where the field was spread out as a form of match simulation.On the eve of the first ODI, he arrived later than the other top-order batsmen and again worked with the sidearm bowlers to prepare for the series.In three ODIs against Afghanistan, Rohit scored 16, 48 and 79 for a total of 143 runs at an average of 47.66 and a strike rate of 115.32. In the injury-hit IPL 2026, the right-hander scored just 283 runs from nine matches at an average of 35.38 and a strike rate of 157.22.

Former India captain Rohit Sharma.

With Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting in the wings despite scoring runs, Rohit’s lack of form is a worrying sign for India’s ODI World Cup plans in 2027. Admittedly, he has been India’s best run-scorer since the last ODI World Cup and since he retired from T20Is. But it is also true that, according to form, he trails skipper Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in runs scored since the start of last year and this year.Based purely on body language, Rohit doesn’t inspire much confidence at the moment. The right-hander looks slow against the seamers, which could be a major factor in the ODI World Cup in South Africa. He is injury prone and seems almost unsure of himself. Even in the field, he is no longer the fastest of the blocks.Rohit will be 40 by the time the ODI World Cup rolls around and will be hoping to join a list that includes Chris Gayle, Brad Hogg, Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Tahir as some of the oldest players in the tournament. But if current form is any indication, he shouldn’t be on that flight to South Africa.