3 reasons why India should not move on from Rohit Sharma after ENG vs IND ODI series

Rohit Sharma has struggled to perform in ENG vs IND ODIs.

Indian Cricket Team batter Rohit Sharma reportedly will be playing his last international game in the ongoing ODI series against England. According to a report by The Indian Express, the BCCI selectors have decided to move on from the senior opener after the England tour as they need to test youngsters in ODIs.

Although Rohit has expressed his desire to play the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 next year in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, selectors want to groom players like Yashasvi Jaiswal in the 50-over format, keeping in mind the future of Indian Cricket.

Rohit’s struggles in ODI cricket since the start of this year have been a key factor behind management’s call to part ways with the right-handed batsman. In this listicle, let’s discuss three reasons why dropping Rohit Sharma from ODIs will be a wrong move by the BCCI.

Reasons why BCCI should back Rohit Sharma in ODIs

3. Rohit should not be judged based on ENG vs IND series as entire Indian team has struggled

Rohit could not make a mark with his performances in both ODIs against England. The right-handed batsman got out for 11 runs in the first ODI in Edgbaston and 26 runs in the second game in Cardiff. Across both games, he only hit one six and two fours with a strike rate of over 50.

However, Rohit should not be judged based on his form in the ENG vs IND ODI series many Indian batters have failed to make a mark in English conditions. Batters like Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, and KL Rahul have struggled at some point or other in the campaign.

Even in the T20I series, many batters, who were part of the T20 World Cup 2026, could not impress, which resulted in India’s humiliating 0-4 whitewash. Even in the 2nd ODI, India had a batting collapse following a decent start. Hence, axing just Rohit due to his struggles would not be justified.

2. Rohit has struggled in 2026 but is not at his worst phase

Since the start of 2026, the right-handed batsman has scored 241 runs in eight games at an average of 30.12 and a strike rate of 88.60 with one half-century. Although these stats are below his standards, it’s not so bad that he should be dropped from the side.

It should be noted that he was quite unlucky in the previous ODI series against Afghanistan. He got run-out in the opening game for just 16 runs and became a victim of Rashid Khan just ahead of his fifty (48) in the second encounter. He made a comeback with his 79-run knock in the third game in Chennai.

In the past, many batters have been backed despite performing worse than Rohit. Just last year, the 39-year-old rocked with his batting show, smashing 650 runs in 14 games at an average of 50.0, slamming two tons and four fifties.

He also reached the top of the ICC ODI rankings with his marvellous performances. Hence, dropping him from ODIs based on his recent few games and 2026 will not be a justified move.

1. Rohit needs time to return to his form in ODIs

After Sharma left the captaincy last year, he had to tweak his batting approach. Instead of an all-out approach to score as many runs as possible in the powerplay without fear of losing his wicket, he has switched to a rather patient approach to score big.

Over the years, Rohit has been known for starting slow and then picking up the pace as the match progresses. However, he needs some bigger knocks to justify his spot in the ODI team.

The former Indian captain is known for comebacks in the past, and he would surely regain his form in the near future if he is given more opportunities.

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