Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has observed that the once-destructive opener has altered his strategy in response to suggestions that the third ODI between India and England may be Rohit Sharma’s final international match. Rohit has never batted as cautiously as he did in the second ODI against England, he noted.
In the second ODI in Cardiff on Thursday, July 16, India was bowled out for 233 despite Rohit scoring 26 runs off 47 balls. The three-match series was tied when England reached the goal with four wickets and 35 balls remaining.
Rohit has recently adopted a more conservative hitting technique, according to a former Indian batsman.
“One thing is that Rohit has realized that he is the father of daddy hundreds, and quantity is required along with quality, and it’s required as an opener. He realized that he needs to look fit and that he cannot be a liability on the field. So, he came with great fitness, and then he started playing slightly conservatively.
He has changed his playing style. There was a time when he alone used to hit 50 in the Powerplay. If you see yesterday’s match, he got out in the 18th over after scoring 26 runs. We have never seen Rohit playing like that,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Every great career has an end, according to Aakash Chopra, who also said that, given Rohit Sharma’s advanced age, it would be time for India to try someone else.
“I think there are two ways to look at it. One is that no matter how beautiful a story is, eventually it has to end. Ultimately, everybody has to say goodbye. Rohit Sharma is 39 years old. He will become 40 next year. The World Cup is one-and-a-half years away. So, he will be more than 40. If the Indian team has to go towards someone else, this is the time,” he said.
Additionally, Chopra noted that the 39-year-old hasn’t performed well since the 2025 Champions Trophy and that the selectors may have decided it was time to play Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“If you see his numbers from the Champions Trophy, you would say he has scored runs. It’s been okay. It’s not excellent, but it’s not like the numbers have been very bad. Maybe this is the time. The selectors might have told him that they are going elsewhere. Maybe Yashasvi Jaiswal’s time is about to come. So, this is it. That’s one way of looking at it,” Chopra stated.
“Could a little more time have been given? Could you have waited a little longer, as one-and-a-half years are left? Again, you keep getting closer to the D-day, but I am myself saying that one-and-a-half years are left. So, you could have waited a little. However, it was always going to be a tough one,” he concluded.
If the third ODI at Lord’s is Rohit Sharma’s last match, he expressed optimism that he would achieve a century. He went on to remark that the star batsman should bid farewell in the same manner since he has dominated ODI cricket for a very long time.
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