'Lord's ODI won't be Rohit Sharma's last match' - BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia clears the air on stalwart's future

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has confirmed that the third ODI between India and England, which will be played at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground in London on Sunday, July 19, won't be Rohit Sharma's last game in international cricket.

Speculations started after a report on Thursday, July 17, claimed that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee had informed Rohit that he wasn't in their plans for the upcoming ODI World Cup next year. The selectors were reportedly keen on giving Yashasvi Jaiswal a long rope at the top of the order alongside Shubman Gill.

The timing of the report coincided with Rohit's dip in form in ODI cricket. In the ongoing series against England, the 39-year-old has only scored 11 and 26, respectively. On Thursday, in the second ODI, his 26-run knock came off 47 balls.

Fans were genuinely concerned about Rohit's future in international cricket, as he has already retired from Tests and T20Is. However, Saikia's statement will give them massive relief.

"There are a lot of speculations going on in the media about Rohit Sharma's future. I want to firmly assert that there has been no such discussion that Rohit will be playing his last match at Lord's on Sunday," Saikia was quoted as saying by India Today.

"Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team and he will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the scheme of things. In other words, the Lord's ODI won't be his last match," the BCCI Secretary added.

The Mumbai batter had an excellent record in ODI cricket in England heading into the series. However, things haven't gone his way in the first two games. That, however, doesn't mean that Rohit can't bounce back to form on Sunday.

Rohit's record with the bat in ODIs at Lord's isn't very promising. The veteran batter has only scored 15 runs across two innings, which includes a duck. Rohit has looked to give himself some time at the crease in the last two games but that hasn't worked out. He could be better served if he goes after the bowling from the word go, just like he used to in the last few years.