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Having seen the way India head coach Gautam Gambhir dealt with Sanju Samson, isn’t it now a warning sign for Rohit Sharma? Is it a simple case of perform or perish for the former India captain? If Rohit fails to score heavily against England, won’t the calls to drop him only grow louder? Before India begin their ODI series against England, one question deserves to be asked: if Lionel Messi can still lead his country at the FIFA World Cup at the age of 39, why can’t Rohit do the same?
Age is simply a number, but it should never be the sole criterion for selection. More importantly, this Indian team will need experience to overcome tougher challenges away from home. While several youngsters performed phenomenally well during the T20 World Cup at home, many have struggled to replicate those performances against stronger opposition in overseas conditions. Once the initial hype fades and players are exposed to sterner tests, experience becomes invaluable. That is precisely why Rohit Sharma remains an important part of India’s plans.
A lot was expected from Ishan Kishan, and he appeared to be the one batter capable of genuinely challenging Rohit for a spot. However, he has not been consistent enough in T20 cricket to make that claim convincingly.
Among the younger batters, the only one who is yet to be given a sustained run in white-ball cricket is Yashasvi Jaiswal. Others—whether it is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma or even Sanju Samson, all of whom could have emerged as contenders to replace Rohit—have struggled to make a lasting impact in overseas conditions in recent months.
With time not exactly on Rohit Sharma’s side—especially given Gautam Gambhir’s influence—anything can happen if his role isn’t clearly defined over the next few months. Who knows? The youngsters struggling in overseas conditions today may find their feet sooner rather than later, and that could completely alter the selection dynamics.
At the moment, even the Indian team management and the selection committee appear uncertain about how to handle Rohit Sharma’s future. Once admired for his rapport with younger players and for taking time out to mentor them on overseas tours, Rohit now finds himself in a different position. Several younger players are believed to feel that the veteran opener is blocking their path to a regular place in the XI.
The push for a generational change is gathering momentum within the setup. Given a choice, ODI captain Shubman Gill may well prefer to build the future around Yashasvi Jaiswal rather than Rohit. However, the bigger question remains: if Rohit continues to score runs and delivers consistently, why should age alone become the deciding factor? With the 2027 ODI World Cup set to be played in South Africa, his experience in challenging overseas conditions could prove invaluable—provided he is able to manage his hamstring injury and maintain his fitness.
