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Former India all-rounder R Ashwin has questioned the timing of reports regarding Rohit Sharma‘s ODI future ahead of the series decider against England at Lord’s. The retirement speculation has taken several twists in recent days, creating uncertainty over the veteran batter’s role as the team sets its sights on the 2027 Cricket World Cup. The BCCI later dismissed the rumors, confirming that the senior batsman remains part of its plans.
Ashwin stressed that India still requires the experience of Rohit and Virat Kohli, and emphasized the importance of transparent communication with players rather than leaving their futures ambiguous. He pointed to his own retirement, which followed a clear conversation with team management.
“I am thinking we are going to South Africa in September and October. Do we need Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma? If you ask me, I will say we need that experience,” Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“I know Yashasvi Jaiswal is pushing hard from behind, but if you ever felt as a selector, coach or captain that we don’t want these players in the 2027 World Cup, then you could have communicated that at the end of the Champions Trophy. If you go to a player and tell him that we want to move on from you, no player will like that,” he added.
Ashwin recalled how his own Test retirement came after the team’s think tank approached him, and he accepted the decision.
“Even when the coach came and communicated with me in Australia that they wanted to look past me, I accepted it. One bad series can happen to any player, but you have to communicate with the player,” the former India cricketer, who played his last international match in December 2024 elaborated further.
Rohit has struggled with the bat in the England series, scoring only 37 runs across two innings, including 11 in the opener and a slow 26 off 47 balls in the second. In his last five innings, he has managed 180 runs at an average of 36, with a top score of 79.
