Former India cricketer and commentator Mohammad Kaif has thrown his weight behind Rohit Sharma amid growing speculation over his international future, insisting retirement is a personal decision and should not be decided by public opinion.Rohit silenced his critics in a strong manner recently when he smashed a historic century at Lord’s in the third ODI against England. His knock of 138 off 110 balls made him the first Indian batsman to score an ODI century at the iconic venue, amid rumors that the home team’s game could be his last international appearance before the 2027 ODI World Cup. The BCCI had earlier dismissed these retirement rumors and Rohit himself responded in the best possible way, with the bat.Responding to the controversy surrounding the Indian captaincy, Kaif said Rohit continued to perform well despite huge external pressure and deserved the freedom to decide when to end his career.“Rohit Sharma’s retirement will be decided by Rohit Sharma himself. He has the right. He gave so much for India. He has the right to retire on his own terms. 12,000 runs, 34 centuries – till his captaincy, he never made India lose. Even today, during his captaincy, no one has been able to beat India in white-ball cricket. What a great captain he was. But the pressure on him was so great, people keep saying, “Rohit Sharma, it’s time to retire. “‘Under tremendous pressure, he became Lord’s top run scorer. No other Indian batsman has hit a hundred in this match but it came from Rohit’s bat,” Kaif said in a video posted on his X account.
Kraft urges BCCI to support him
Kaif further said that the public support from the Indian team management and BCCI may further motivate the veteran opener ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.“Imagine if Shubman Gill as captain publicly said, ‘Rohit bhai, I need you for the 2027 World Cup.’ Or if BCCI made it clear that Rohit is willing to play for India for as long as he wants, no one should question him. This support will have a huge impact,” he added. The former India batsman believes Rohit’s growth comes from the responsibility and confidence of those around him.“Now, he is under pressure as everyone is waiting for him to fail. But when he knows that his captain, coach and BCCI are firmly behind him, he will even climb the Himalayas to travel to India. I hope people stop the unnecessary noise and let Rohit Sharma play in peace,” Kaif concluded.
England beat India to win ODI series title
India lost the third and final ODI by 27 runs to England, losing 2-1 in three games despite missing centuries and half-centuries from their highest order. Chasing the daunting 388-run target, captain Rohit Sharma led the way with a brilliant century, while Shubman Gill smashed 77 and Virat Kohli smashed a flowing 74.However, the mammoth target proved too daunting as India’s middle and lower order failed to sustain the momentum.
