Parthiv Patel backs Rohit Sharma to respond to retirement reports with a century in the final ODI against England at Lord's
According to reports, the final ODI at Lord's could be Rohit's last appearance for India
The national selectors have already conveyed to the veteran batter that he's not in their scheme of things for the 2027 ODI World Cup
While reports continue to suggest that Sunday's third and final ODI against England could be Rohit Sharma's final international appearance, former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel has backed the veteran to let his bat do the talking in what could be his farewell outing.
According to multiple reports, the senior men's selection committee has informed Rohit that he is no longer part of their plans for next year's ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, with the selectors keen to give Yashasvi Jaiswal an extended run at the top of the order ahead of the tournament.
If the reports turn out to be true then either Rohit could announce his retirement from international cricket as he has already retired from Tests and T20Is or he'll be dropped from the ODIs for good.
"If the Lord's ODI is indeed the last match of his career, Rohit Sharma would want to sign off with a century. He is more than capable of doing that. We've seen it throughout his career - after two or three low scores, he often bounces back with a match-winning knock in the very next innings," Patel told 'JioStar'.
"The difference between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has always been consistency. Rohit may not score heavily in every game, but when he does, he plays a substantial innings and often ends up winning the Player of the Match award. He didn't look comfortable in this game," he added referring to the lost second ODI in which Rohit scored a 47-ball 26.
While Patel acknowledged that Rohit had a tough time against the variable bounce in Cardiff and never looked his old self during this 47-ball 26, he backed the Mumbai batter to play an innings that'll silence his critics like he has done many times in the past.
"But this is another opportunity for him to silence his critics. It has happened many times before, and he has always responded with the bat. So, if the Lord's ODI is indeed his final match, I hope he plays an innings that people remember for a long time," the former wicketkeeper-batter said.
Kumble Kept Rohit In The Class Of Kohli, Root
Former India captain Anil Kumble, while steering clear of the speculation surrounding Rohit Sharma, drew parallels between the veteran opener's batting approach and that of England's Joe Root and Virat Kohli.
"What makes Root, Kohli, and Rohit so successful is that their run-scoring looks effortless. They don't premeditate. They react to the ball. They play low-risk, high-reward cricket rather than high-risk, high-reward cricket. When you have that kind of class, grace, and mindset, it makes life easier for the entire team," he said.
