Rohit Sharma’s future with India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has reignited speculation about that of the veteran opener and in this regard, the speculation that he could be excluded by selectors ahead of the third ODI against England might have been more than “outside noise”.
Rohit’s future was becoming more and more precarious at Lord’s with speculation that this match could be his last ODI appearance. There were also rumours that the Indian opener had been informed about a possible decision about his future before the series.
However, those reports were publicly dismissed by the BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia who said Rohit Sharma would not be retiring from international cricket.
Ashwin has now provided a different perspective: although the official clarification has been made, Ashwin has now provided a different point of view.
As he spoke on his YouTube channel he recalled a popular Tamil saying “there is no smoke without fire”. Ashwin said although retirement speculation might have been denied, there were some underlying developments that led to the rumours emerging in the first place.
“When the news of the possibility of Rohit Sharma’s retirement broke, you call it outside noise. I won’t call it that. There is a Tamil saying: ‘There is no smoke without fire. There was fire, but he scored runs,’” Ashwin said.
Rohit answered the speculation in an emphatic way at Lord’s. The India opener struck 138 off 110 balls, the first Indian to score an ODI century at the iconic ground.
Rohit’s innings became one of the biggest talking points of the game, even though India ultimately failed to chase England’s target of 388 and lost the match.
Ashwin also praised Rohit’s performance but said that the batter might still have been working his way back to full fitness after an injury sustained during the 2026 Indian Premier League season.
“I think this is Rohit’s way to a comeback after an injury. If he had a better feel or more confidence he could have scored 180 and won the match for the team. Rohit was in great form,” Ashwin said.
Ashwin Defends Rohit And Virat
The former all-rounder also discussed the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in India’s ODI setup.
Neither player is currently in India's ODI World Cup squad for the 2027. Kohli’s recent performance has increased his position but Rohit’s future has become more uncertain after his inconsistent performance and the change in the captaincy.
Ashwin said that both senior players’ credentials make it difficult to simply drop them from the team if they continue to produce runs.
“They cannot touch Virat and Rohit if they want to play. It is because of their credentials,” Ashwin said.
He commented on Rohit’s huge ODI record and the huge public following around both players.
Rohit’s future will also be kept in play even though the BCCI has already said he will not retire. His century at Lord’s has strengthened his case in India’s ODI plans and Ashwin’s comments have ensured that the retirement discussion will not disappear anytime soon.
India's next ODI series will be a three-match home series against the West Indies on September 27. Rohit and Virat's next series will be another opportunity to improve their chances of success before the long road to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
