IND vs AFG, 2nd ODI: Team India’s explosive opener Rohit Sharma’s returns in both international cricket in the last few months and IPL 2026 have left a lot to be desired. With the management already building themselves up for the 2027 World Cup, they have started zeroing down players for the mega event set to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. But is Rohit in contention to play the 2027 World Cup?
IND vs AFG, 2nd ODI: Will the third ODI against Afghanistan be Rohit Sharma’s final international match?
According to an unverified claim on X, the right-handed batter is set to draw curtains on his career following the third and final ODI against Afghanistan in Chennai. Nevertheless, there is no official update from the BCCI or any indication from Rohit that it will be the veteran’s final international outing. The 39-year-old began the series in Dharamshala with a run-a-ball 16 before a terrible mix-up with captain Shubman Gill cut his innings short. But the former Indian captain failed to score even a half-century in the 50-over series against New Zealand, compiling scores of 24, 11 and 16 as the Men in Blue registered a historic series defeat.
There were high hopes from Rohit of continuing to pile on the runs after earning the Player of the Series award in Australia for scores of 8, 73 and 121*. While the series against South Africa saw him register two half-centuries in three matches, he failed against the Kiwis. Additionally, the star batter also missed half of the IPL matches over a hamstring injury that flared up during the game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium. Having featured in nine games, Rohit managed 283 runs while maintaining a strike rate of 157.22.
With Yashasvi Jaiswal also waiting in the wings, the next few months will be a litmus test for Rohit to prove his fitness and hunger for runs.
How did Rohit Sharma perform in 2023 World Cup?
Meanwhile, the Nagpur-born cricketer delivered an outstanding performance in the 2023 World Cup. His tally of 597 runs was only the second-highest in the tournament behind fellow countryman Virat Kohli’s 765. Rohit’s 1575 runs is the fourth-highest in World Cups overall, behind Sachin Tendulkar (2278), Virat Kohli (1795) and Ricky Ponting (1743).
Having fallen just short of lifting the trophy in 2023, Rohit would wish for one more opportunity in 2027.
