Rohit Sharma put any doubts over his ability to still perform at the highest level to rest by winning the player of the series award in India’s three-match ODI rubber against Australia despite his side ending up at the losing side of it. Rohit scored a half-century in the second ODI and a masterful unbeaten century in the third which powered India to a nine-wicket victory. Rohit may be 38 now but his childhood coach Dinesh Lad has now said that the veteran is looking to play the 2027 World Cup.
“This is a special moment,” Lad said on PTI, talking about the 120 he scored against Australia in the third ODI in Sydney. “There were talks that he was not performing, that he should stop playing cricket, but he played two good innings in the last two matches, 75 (73) first and now 120 (121*), and has shown he is still a top player who’ll still contribute to the country.
“The only secret is his self-confidence. That’s why he hasn’t retired. He wants to play the 2027 World Cup and only retire after that, and he’s preparing for that.”
Rohit cracked his 33rd ODI century off 105 deliveries and became only the 10th man in history to secure 50 international centuries. Besides his 12 tons in Test cricket, Rohit is still the joint-highest century-maker in the T20I format, which he retired from at the end of India’s victorious World Cup campaign in the Caribbean in July 2024.
Rohit also surpassed Virender Sehwag’s run tally (15,758) to become the highest run-scorer among all Indian openers across formats in 11 fewer innings. He equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 45 international centuries as an opener, the most for India. Only David Warner has struck more tons as an opener in international cricket (49). Meanwhile, Rohit also equalled Tendulkar for the most ODI centuries against Australia with his ninth century in only 49 innings.
