IND vs ENG, 2nd ODI: Out-of-favour Indian cricketer and Mumbai Indians all-rounder Shardul Thakur has given a hilarious account of his bonding with Rohit Sharma ahead of the second ODI against England on July 16, Thursday at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. Having played alongside Rohit in junior cricket days and for India and in IPL, Shardul hilariously claimed that he has often been the veteran’s punching bag.
IND vs ENG, 2nd ODI: Why did Shardul Thakur say he was Rohit Sharma’s punching bag?
Speaking at the pre-match show, Shardul, in a conversation with host Sameer Kocchar, he recalled:
“Don’t ask me. I can say a lot of things but don’t want to. I was his punching bag. We studied in the same school. We were in the same school and he has seen me in the Mumbai team. If Virat Kohli did a misfield in his captaincy, which is quite rare or if Ravindra Jadeja does it, if I fumble at that spot, Rohit’s dialogue is bound to come. I don’t need to say what it is, fans can check out on YouTube.”
Shardul Thakur about Rohit Sharma ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ pic.twitter.com/XisWYHol0D
— Kusha Sharma  (@Kushacritic) July 16, 2026
IND vs ENG, 2nd ODI: How many runs did Rohit Sharma score in the series-opener at Edgbaston in Birmingham?
Rohit, meanwhile, perished for 11 in the series-opener at Edgbaston in Birmingham as he threw his wicket away to Sam Curran after starting off slowly. England had also snaffled Virat Kohli cheaply for 5. However, it still saw the sub-continent nation take a 1-0 series lead after winning by six wickets. The century stand between Dawson and Joe Root was vital in giving the home side a competitive total of 258 after they had slipped to 107/6 at one stage.
 Below are the playing XIs of both sides as India made one change, while England triggered a couple.
