Acutely aware but dismissive of the “noise” around his future in international cricket, veteran Indian batting star Rohit Sharma says he knows that speculation won’t stop till he is playing but he would rather focus on scoring runs instead of fighting it.

With a facile 138 at the Lord’s on Sunday (July 19, 2026), Rohit could not prevent India’s 27-run loss didn’t look his usual, possibly trying to mask the insult and hurt he must have felt.

“The noise, since I made my debut was there. Till I am going to stay here, it is always going to be there, so it doesn’t really matter too much,” the 39-year-old, who became the oldest Indian centurion and first from the country to score a ton in 50-over cricket, told BCCI.TV.

“What really matters is what I do on the field, try and contribute to the success of the team. That’s where all my focus is. Let the noise be there, if there is no noise there is no fun. My job is inside, their job is outside, that’s how I look at it.”

“My job is with bat, come and play, represent my country, that’s what I have been told to do since I made my debut, so that’s what I am going to do,” added the man, who is within touching distance of 12,000 ODI runs.

Under pressure, his 34th ODI ton was one of his best knocks in recent times. Rohit said he has always enjoyed playing in England.

“I love playing in England. The atmosphere, the grounds, the pitches, when you turn up to play any format over here, it challenges you in different ways. And that’s what you want as a cricketer. To be challenged in every way possible. I enjoyed out there in the middle,” he said.

The century stand with Virat Kohli, who smashed 74, raised visions of an improbable win despite the steep chase of 388. It didn’t happen but their on-pitch understanding was still as smooth as it was a decade and half ago.

“We [him and Kohli] played our entire career together, so it was nice to have him in the middle, we have had so many partnerships. It’s fun batting together as we understand each other so much, bouncing off ideas,” Rohit said.

Rohit did admit that it was disappointing to lose the series after starting off with a win in Birmingham.

“Little disappointed with the result as I thought we were playing good cricket. How we started off in Birmingham, we played good cricket. We fell a bit short in Cardiff with the bat not scoring enough runs.”

“Here it was a massive total to chase and we tried whatever we could but we fell 20-25 runs short,” Rohit said.

The Indian pace attack had a cumulative experience of 51 ODIs among four bowlers and Rohit predictably defended them.

“Again with bowling, you got to understand that these guys haven’t played a lot of ODIs and you got give them time. We can learn from this game, take things in our stride and when we again come across situation like this, we try and better ourselves,” he said.

“Disappointed with the result, we couldn’t finish off the game, we have to move on,” he signed off.

The hardest thing to do in modern-day cricket is to shift gears when you are already cruising. Fresh off a 4-0 dismantling of reigning World T20 champion India in the shortest format, England will face a different kind of test from Tuesday.

Awaiting the host in the ODI series is a significantly stronger Indian side, bolstered by the return of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. For England, the presence of India’s talismanic trio demands a change in the gameplan.

In a virtual interaction on Monday, opener Ben Duckett acknowledged the scale of the “challenge” but insisted that England was confident of carrying its momentum into the 50-over assignment. “Obviously, it’s a different format, so there will be slight changes. Rohit, Virat and Jasprit are three of the greatest players to play this format. Any side with them is always extremely tough to beat,” said Duckett.

“Shubman Gill is back as well, so there’s a lot of class in that side. They’re (Rohit, Kohli and Gill) players we’ve faced before, and I’m sure our bowlers will have plans for them. Jasprit is probably the best all-format bowler in the world, so any Indian side with him is always a huge challenge,” added the 31-year-old.

The left-hander, however, remained optimistic about the home side clinching the series. “We’re confident coming into this week. We’ve got a lot of guys playing well, too, so it should be a good series. We certainly fancy our chances,” he said.

Duckett reserved special praise for England’s white-ball captain Harry Brook, crediting him for fostering an “aggressive and fearless” approach within the group.

“Brookie leads by example. He wants us to play attacking cricket, and that’s exactly how he plays. He’s always looking to take wickets with attacking fields. As a batter, there aren’t many better all-format players than him in the world right now. We’re very fortunate to have him leading us.”

(Watch the three-match ODI series between England and India Live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD & Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD from July 14).

Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann was suffering from the aftereffects of staying up all night for the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal matches.

Scheduled to address the media virtually on Sunday evening, Swann — currently on broadcast duty in India for the Men in Blue’s tour of England — would not have minded more rest before facing the scribes. But when he was put on the spot, firstly with the most obvious question on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s presence in the ODI series, he responded with clarity.

Swann opined that the 39-year-old Rohit and Kohli, 37, possess the tools to succeed despite not having age on their side. “When Rohit and Virat play together, they pose a double headache for the fielding team. When India bats first, Rohit is the best I have seen… batting on a fresh pitch, taking the game away from the opposition and posting a big total,” said the 47-year-old.

“I believe that Virat is the greatest chaser we have ever witnessed; some of his knocks are stupendous. Having both is a massive bonus for India.”

He remarked that the veterans, who are one-format players nowadays, should be allowed to bow out of international cricket on their own terms. “Because of the standards Rohit and Virat have set and careers they have had, it is up to them when they want to finish. I do not think that they have much to worry about because they are still brilliant players,” Swann added.

Fresh impetus

Swann felt that the batting might of ODI skipper Shubman Gill and return of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, besides the quality of Rohit and Kohli, should provide India hope. “It is amazing to have players of that stature come straight back into the team. After the T20I series (where India was thrashed 0-4), you need fresh impetus.”

(Watch the three-match ODI series between England and India live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD & Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD from July 14).

Pretty soon, the Indian selectors will have to take a call on the future of two of the greatest players to have put bat to white ball. Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma appear keen to play in the World Cup in October-November next year. India play at least 18 One-Day Internationals before that, possibly more.

On paper, the selectors’ task is straightforward: keep tabs on form and fitness, the only two metrics that matter, although Kohli turns 39 during the World Cup and Rohit will be 40 earlier.

But its seldom so simple in India. For one, should the two greats be hyphenated? Is it a Kohli-Rohit issue, or will dropping one make it easier to justify the other’s selection? Is this cricket’s version of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, where if one person withdraws, the other goes through?

Have the players been told in advance what the selectorial thinking is so they know what to expect and there will be no embarrassment? Can a ‘cricketing’ decision, which is what it will be touted as either way, be independent of the sentiment and romance attached to it?

Chairman Ajit Agarkar and his team have shown a streak of ruthlessness Indian cricket is unfamiliar with, ditching the captain who won the T20 World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav was desperately short of runs, and India’s pool in T20 cricket is so vast and so deep that it was a justified call. Fan response was muted, although that will not be the case with Kohli and Rohit. The selectors’ message, though, is simple: runs matter.

Crucial series

The three-match ODI series in England next month will be crucial. Both as an opportunity for self-assessment for the two veterans and to give the selectors some clues. Kohli, who missed the Afghanistan series with a hamstring injury, was replaced by Yashasvi Jaiswal who made a century in the last match. But Jaiswal is not in the team for England (unless Kohli misses out again and he takes the older man’s place). Younger players in form shouldn’t be kept waiting for too long; it’s easy to sympathise with Jaiswal. But such are India’s riches.

Selectors have the job of balancing the past with the future while focusing on the present. Youngsters have to be given a chance to succeed, while veterans need the chance to fail, as this column has often argued. In other words, youngsters require the freedom and backing to build confidence without fear of being dropped immediately. Veterans possess an equity that entitles them to a bad run without being instantly discarded.

Skipper Shubman Gill has not looked uncomfortable with former captains playing under him. This was not always the case with India where former captains often acted like they had power but no responsibility. Gill’s inputs will be important too as he settles in for a long career as batter and captain, possibly in all three formats.

Rohit Sharma missed the 2011 World Cup which India won. The chairman of selectors then, Krishnamachari Srikkanth apologised for this a decade later. He said in a podcast, “I still feel bad for him. We just wanted more all-round options.” Rohit has come through a lot since then, including, as captain, the agony of losing the last final at home to Australia.

Kohli was a key member of that 2011 squad, starting with a century and finishing with an important partnership in the final with Gautam Gambhir.

Present matters

Not that any of that should matter to the selectors. It wouldn’t do to choose players based purely on past record or to compensate for past wrongs. The present should be all that matters here. Playing in South Africa (and Zimbabwe) means the experience of the stalwarts is important.

As things stand, Kohli probably has the better chance of making the team a year from now. His fitness has been an example to colleagues, and so too his motivation and fierce competitive spirit. Rohit might appear more laid-back but he is equally motivated and competitive. In the end, it will have to be form and fitness alone that matter.

Between now and the final selection, Kohli and Rohit will figure prominently in all discussions, an important adjunct to the main story of India’s preparation.

Shreyas Iyer is set to return to India’s T20I set-up and is also likely to be handed the captaincy in the shortest format when the senior national selection committee meets here on Saturday to pick the squads for three crucial assignments in the coming months.

The senior selection panel, chaired by Ajit Agarkar, is scheduled to finalise the contingents for the T20I series in Ireland, subsequent limited-overs tour of England and the Asian Games. Shreyas, who last played a T20I in December 2023, is expected to replace Suryakumar Yadav both in the squad and as captain. After enduring a prolonged lean patch with the bat, Suryakumar is set to lose his place despite having led India during its successful T20 World Cup title defence earlier this year.

The Hindu understands that both the selectors and team management have increasingly gravitated towards Shreyas as the leadership choice after multiple rounds of discussions.

Having captained Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 before guiding Punjab Kings to the final in 2025, the 31-year-old’s leadership credentials have significantly strengthened his case. Other names discussed for the role included Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma.

Interestingly, Hardik Pandya — who had been replaced by Suryakumar as captain at the beginning of the previous T20 World Cup cycle — and vice-captain of the recent World Cup campaign, Axar Patel, have not featured prominently in discussions so far.

Beyond the captaincy debate, teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the major talking point. The key question is whether the selectors accelerate the 15-year-old’s entry into the T20I squad or introduce him gradually through a relatively easier assignment in Zimbabwe in July.

Sooryavanshi already features among the 30 probables for the Asian Games. India will play two T20Is in Ireland on June 26 and 28 before travelling to England for five T20Is and three ODIs between July 1 and 19. The Asian Games cricket competition, scheduled from September 17 to October 3, overlaps with India’s home ODI series against the West Indies.

The selectors are also expected to name a replacement for Virat Kohli, whose hamstring injury has ruled him out of the ODI series against Afghanistan. Fitness reports concerning Rohit Sharma and Hardik — both selected earlier subject to clearance — will also come up for discussion during Saturday’s meeting.

The return of Rohit Sharma proved decisive as Mumbai Indians bounced back in IPL 2026 after a string of defeats to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Rohit, returning after three weeks out due to a hamstring injury, struck form immediately. He built a 143-run opening partnership with Ryan Rickelton to set the tone for Mumbai Indians’ run chase against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

After three weeks on the sidelines nursing a hamstring injury, Rohit Sharma made a grand return to IPL 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

Rohit wasted little time reminding everyone of his class, producing 84 off 44 balls (6×4, 7×6) to breathe life back into Mumbai Indians’ flickering playoff hopes and script a commanding six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants.

The road to the IPL 2026 playoffs may seem distant for Lucknow Super Giants, which sits at the bottom of the table.

However, bowling coach Bharat Arun believes all is not lost yet. “There is light at the end of the tunnel. For us, there’s no other way. Every game is a knockout for us right from here,” Arun said.

In a tournament as long as the Indian Premier League, a franchise’s opening fixture isn’t necessarily indicative of how the season will transpire. At this early stage, there is plenty of room for lessons to be gleaned, plans to be fine-tuned and combinations to be tweaked.

Mumbai Indians’ Surya Kumar Yadav during a practice session on the eve of the IPL T20 Match at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi on April 03, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
R.V. MOORTHY

That said, a win to begin proceedings certainly settles the nerves and spreads positive vibes. Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, which will meet at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Saturday afternoon, will attest after victories in their opening fixtures.

While DC overcame a jittery start to a chase of 142 to register a six-wicket win against Lucknow Super Giants, Hardik Pandya’s men never looked in strife in pursuit of 221 against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Delhi Capitals’ K.L. Rahul during a practice session on the eve of the IPL T20 Match at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi on April 03, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
R.V. MOORTHY

For the five-time champion, a leaner and fitter Rohit Sharma was in full flow against KKR, scoring 78 and stitching together an opening stand of 148 runs with Ryan Rickelton. With the 38-year-old’s involvement at the international level confined to the 50-over format, he was available for the entirety of MI’s pre-season preparations this time.

“He joined us on day one of our camp. We did a lot of simulations, we had quite a few practice matches that we played, so he was part of all that. The hand speed was pretty good,” said MI coach Mahela Jayawardene on Friday.

In marked contrast to MI’s opening pair, DC’s top-order appeared shaky at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. If Capitals still emerged unscathed, it was owing to Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs forging a fine alliance from 26 for four.

The surface for Saturday’s fixture is expected to be full of runs. Jayawardene sees it as par for the course in the early part of the campaign. “The wickets will get slower as the season progresses. You have to let that natural process happen and not worry too much about the first few games,” he said.