The journey from the second one-day international to the third one between India and England has been a rocky road. All the attention has been diverted to just one player, and rightfully so. After his poor and scratchy innings in Cardiff, Rohit Sharma was in the news. Reports emerged that the BCCI’s selection panel will be looking beyond him and the last match of the ongoing series will be his last in Indian colours.
Now, former Pakistan captain Basit Ali has joined the bandwagon. He has put forward his thought process and has interestingly claimed that he won’t be surprised if Virat Kohli also bows out of the Indian team after the third ODI on July 19. He had such an explosive remark because Ali feels that both Indian legends are feeling the pressure and could announce their retirements at Lord’s.
Kohli to follow Rohit out of Indian team?
Basit Ali states that the Indian management shouldn’t judge Rohit after his two performances in England. He feels that there’s likely pressure from Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, and that’s why Ali name-drops Kohli as well. However, there are some reports that contradicts Ali’s thinking. Earlier today, we got to know that Rohit himself played a part in appointing Gambhir as India’s head coach after Rahul Dravid.
“If he continues to perform, he should keep playing. Right now, if you want to judge him solely on the basis of his performances in the two matches in England or on Gautam Gambhir’s likes and dislikes, then you should also keep Virat Kohli in mind,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.
“If today it is Rohit’s turn, then next time it could be Virat’s. Given the way Virat retired from Test cricket, there is a possibility that both of them could announce their retirements at Lord’s. If too much pressure is applied, I feel such a decision could end up being made, which would be a huge mistake, because the cricketing world still wants to watch Virat play.”
As for Virat Kohli, there’s no real debate about his place right now. He remains India’s best batter, right up there with Shubman Gill. His 65 off 66 balls in the second ODI against England in Cardiff on Thursday was another showcase of where his form is.
Between October last year and that Cardiff game, he played 11 ODIs and put together 686 runs. That run included three centuries and came at an average of 76.22. Barring a sudden and long dip, Kohli should easily make it to the 2027 World Cup.
In ODIs the conditions are still very batting friendly, so a big fall-off looks unlikely. Rohit isn’t in poor form either. He didn’t look completely fluent in the first two ODIs in England. But from October last year to the Cardiff match, he played 14 ODIs and scored 589 runs at 45.30. Those are solid numbers.
The difference is this. Kohli doesn’t really have anyone pushing him for his spot in the ODI XI. For Rohit, it’s different. Yashasvi Jaiswal is right there, waiting. And then there’s the question of consistency, which is becoming harder to ignore.
Most ODI runs for India (since Nov 2025)
| Player | Inns | Runs | Avg | SR | 100s/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 8 | 612 | 87.42 | 109.67 | 3/2 |
| Shubman Gill | 7 | 484 | 96.80 | 114.42 | 1/4 |
| Rohit Sharma | 11 | 387 | 35.18 | 95.79 | 0/3 |
| KL Rahul | 8 | 308 | 77.00 | 127.80 | 1/2 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 5 | 270 | 90.00 | 100.00 | 2/0 |
Rohit Sharma’s downfall as ODI opener
Rohit Sharma has already said goodbye to two formats. He walked away from T20Is on June 29, 2024, after leading India to the T20 World Cup title at Kensington Oval. Then in May 2025, he posted on Instagram to announce his retirement from Test cricket as well. It came after he endured a horrible Test series in Australia.
Now the big question mark is on ODIs. If the third ODI against England at Lord’s ends up being his last in the 50-over format, it would close out one of India’s greatest ODI careers ever. In 286 ODIs he has scored 11,731 runs at an average of 48.67. That includes 32 hundreds and 58 fifties. He also still owns the record for the highest individual score in ODI history, 264.
As captain he took India all the way to the 2023 ODI World Cup final, a match that was supposed to go his way but didn’t. Everything would’ve fallen into piece (read peace) had India managed to beat Australia on November 19. But things have looked a little different since he gave up the captaincy.
He returned to ODIs in October 2025 after a 10-month break, but this time only as a batter. Since then his powerplay strike rate has dropped to 84.45. Between January 2023 and the Champions Trophy in 2025, it was over 120. It makes sense to an extent. When you’re not setting the tone for the whole team, your job and your mindset change. There’s also the constant talk about Jaiswal waiting for a spot at the top. And after 19 years of international cricket, it’s natural that some of that early sharpness isn’t quite the same anymore.
How many ODI Rohit Sharma?
Rohit Sharma has played 286 One Day International (ODI) matches, scoring 11,720 runs with 31 centuries and 55 half-centuries. He holds the record for the highest individual score in ODI history with 264 runs
Will Rohit Sharma play the Odi World Cup in 2027?
Rohit Sharma’s participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup is highly uncertain as BCCI selectors have reportedly indicated that he is not part of their long-term plans for the tournament. Age and fitness concerns are cited as factors, with his final ODI appearance potentially taking place at Lord’s on July 19.
Cricket
Rohit Sharma won't retire after Lord's ODI, BCCI firmly rubbishes speculations
