Former India player Mohammad Kaif has expressed concern over veteran opener Rohit Sharma’s current form and his recent struggles with the bat. The former Indian captain has struggled massively against the English attack in the two ODIs of the three-match series. Kaif said he has rarely seen Rohit look as uncomfortable as he did during the second ODI, where England bowlers troubled him with the short ball, a length that was once his strength.
“He played a strange innings in this match. I have rarely seen Rohit Sharma struggle like this, where he is getting stuck against the short ball,” Kaif said while speaking on Cricbuzz.
“In the next match, you are going to see Rohit Sharma take on and play shots. He will pull, he will drive, and he might get out, but that is a different matter. He is going to play with intent,” he added.
Rohit looked visibly uncomfortable in the second ODI, managing just 26 off 47 balls. In the opening match too, he failed to impress, scoring 11 off 21.
Rohit has been the centre of attention on India’s ODI tour of England, but for reasons the former captain would not have wanted. After his struggles in the opening two ODIs, as reported by The Indian Express, the team management is likely to look beyond him. With Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting in the wings, the selectors have reportedly told Rohit that they are moving ahead and considering other options ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
After winning the series opener, India suffered a loss in the second game when their batting unit collapsed. Barring fifties from Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, the rest of the batters failed to fire, as India were bundled out for a below-par 233. England chased down the target in 44.1 overs, courtesy of a classy innings from Joe Root.
There are indications that the third and final ODI at Lord’s could be Rohit’s last in India colours. And should that happen, Kaif believes he would want to finish on a high.
“Assume that Rohit Sharma plays and scores a hundred; he can do that, because when he flops for two or three innings, he bats aggressively in the next game,” Kaif said.
“He has done that throughout his career. Yes, he has not been consistent; that has been the difference between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. So, if such an innings comes, he would want that to happen. If he decides that he will not play any longer, or the selectors take the call that he will not play, then he would want to go out like this, on a high note.”
“He would want to contribute in a do-or-die game, and he can do that. He was not settled in the second ODI, the flow was not there, so his time has come. This has happened many times in his career, and he has always responded. So I hope that if the next match is his last, he goes out with an innings that people remember,” said Kaif.
With 11,757 runs in 287 ODIs, Rohit is the seventh-highest run-getter in the format. His tally puts him fourth among Indians, behind only Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid.
