Senior Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma came agonisingly close to another ODI century but his dismissal for 92 against the West Indies has left former India captain Sunil Gavaskar thinking about a special milestone the veteran batter could achieve before the end of his career.
Rohit Sharma, who is 39 years old, was just eight runs short of his 36th ODI century when he was caught in the outfield while attempting a pull shot against Keemo Paul during the third ODI in New Chandigarh on Sunday. It was the first time in seven years that Rohit had been dismissed in the 90s.
Sunil Gavaskar said he was disappointed because he wants Rohit Sharma to finish his international career with more ODI centuries than his age. He also suggested that Hitman could potentially bring the curtain down on his career after the 2027 World Cup. According to Gavaskar, Rohit reaching 36 ODI centuries would have taken him closer to that unique target. He believes having more centuries than one’s age at retirement would be a fitting reflection of a long and successful career.
Rohit Sharma has not confirmed that he will retire after the 2027 World Cup. However, he has made it clear that the tournament is currently his biggest goal. The veteran batter has also worked on his fitness and reportedly resisted an approach from former chief selector Ajit Agarkar to move him away from the team’s plans.
Sunil Gavaskar also pointed out a change in Rohit Sharma’s batting approach. According to him, Rohit now appears to be giving greater importance to staying at the crease instead of going all-out from the beginning, unlike his approach during the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The numbers support that observation. Rohit Sharma’s ODI strike rate was around 117.07 in 2023, while it has dropped to 104.68 in 2026. However, the current strike rate remains strong, especially because Rohit has the ability to accelerate later in an innings after taking some time to settle.
With the 2027 World Cup potentially being a major milestone in Rohit Sharma’s career, every remaining ODI innings could now carry extra significance, especially as he continues his pursuit of a century tally greater than his age.
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