Opening baton set to pass from Rohit Sharma to Yashasvi Jaiswal

 

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai

Rohit Sharma’s race is run. The third ODI of the ongoing series between England and India at Lord’s on Sunday is, in all likelihood, going to be his last. Whether a formal announcement will come from the former India captain is a matter of conjecture. But the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has decided to move on. The baton will pass to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is set to become India’s first-choice opener in the 50-over format alongside skipper Shubman Gill.

According to sources, the selection committee has communicated its decision to Rohit. Last year, after the Champions Trophy, when India were preparing to tour England for a five-Test series, Rohit wanted to be part of it. According to an insider, the selection committee disagreed, prompting the opener to hang up his red-ball boots. The selectors also wanted to bring Jaiswal into the side at the start of the current ODI cycle, which began in October 2025. Somehow, Rohit survived the chop, but he is unlikely to get any further leeway.

The 39-year-old was eyeing the 2027 World Cup and had been putting in extra shifts to ensure he was in peak physical condition. Once again, as was the case last year, he did not receive the nod from the selection committee, which had its reasons. It felt that Jaiswal needed sufficient games before next year’s World Cup to be fully prepared for the showpiece event. The left-hander has scored two centuries in his last three ODIs and, according to sources, there is a feeling within the selection committee that not bringing him into the fold now would be an “injustice”.

Rohit returned from the ODI series in Australia last year with the Player of the Series award. During the subsequent home assignments, he scored runs intermittently, although consistency was lacking. The selectors remained unconvinced. In fact, it is learnt that there was a view that Rohit could no longer be considered for international cricket. The current selection committee has shown time and again that, with one eye on the future, it is prepared to be ruthless.

In the first ODI in England, at Edgbaston, Rohit scored 11 off 21 balls and was clearly struggling. In the second ODI at Sophia Gardens on Thursday, he could have been dismissed three times during his 47-ball stay at the crease before eventually falling for 26. Even if Rohit scores heavily at Lord’s, it is unlikely to alter the selectors’ decision. They have made up their minds.

With more than 11,700 ODI runs and 33 centuries, including three double hundreds, Rohit is a bona fide legend of the 50-over game. But Father Time spares no one.

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Also read Lord’s Awaits: Can Rohit Sharma Script One Final Act of Defiance?

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