With 11 seemingly innocuous words, Rohit Sharma has set off a fresh round of speculation not of his own making.
“October 2027 is far away, we will see about it then,” the former India skipper replied to a pointed question from a member of the audience at a function in Mumbai on Thursday about his presence at the next 50-over World Cup, in southern Africa. It’s no more than what one would expect from any individual; 13 months is a long time, so much can happen from form and fitness perspectives, and no one can offer any guarantee about what the future holds. But given the unfair lens through which Rohit has been viewed for nearly a year now, it is inevitable that whatever his answer might have been would have been gone through with a fine-tooth comb.
Since being unceremoniously stripped of the captaincy in India’s first One-Day International assignment after he led the team to an all-win run, which culminated in the Champions Trophy triumph in Dubai last March, Rohit’s future has been the subject of much debate. It hasn’t helped that there hasn’t been an unequivocal public statement of intent from either the chief selector (Ajit Agarkar) or the team think-tank marshalled by his successor, Shubman Gill, and head coach Gautam Gambhir. The unfairness of it all isn’t lost on anyone; Rohit is among the greatest of all time when it comes to limited-overs cricket in general and the 50-over iteration specifically. His form is hardly on the wane and he is fitter now than he has been in the last half-dozen years. But hey, he is 39, this is India, everyone has an opinion, so why not?
It took the intervention of the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India to douse the raging fire triggered by near-universal conjecture that the Lord’s ODI in July would be the right-handed opener’s final international hurrah. In an unprecedented move that, we are being told in hush-hush tones, has raised Agarkar’s hackles, Devajit Saikia announced firmly that Rohit wasn’t done yet, an assertion he repeated last week in Mumbai after a high-powered review meeting from which a significant absentee was the chairman of selectors. Rohit himself has maintained a studied, dignified silence, letting his bat do the talking. Some 24 hours after Saikia’s unambiguous statement, Rohit responded with a brilliant hundred at Lord’s, lending the uncharitable to suggest that he had ‘bought himself some time’. Really?
{{/usCountry}}It took the intervention of the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India to douse the raging fire triggered by near-universal conjecture that the Lord’s ODI in July would be the right-handed opener’s final international hurrah. In an unprecedented move that, we are being told in hush-hush tones, has raised Agarkar’s hackles, Devajit Saikia announced firmly that Rohit wasn’t done yet, an assertion he repeated last week in Mumbai after a high-powered review meeting from which a significant absentee was the chairman of selectors. Rohit himself has maintained a studied, dignified silence, letting his bat do the talking. Some 24 hours after Saikia’s unambiguous statement, Rohit responded with a brilliant hundred at Lord’s, lending the uncharitable to suggest that he had ‘bought himself some time’. Really?
{{/usCountry}}Rohit’s latest remarks are also being viewed against the backdrop of his maiden foray into primetime television. Starting next Saturday, the Mumbaikar will host a family entertainment and reality show called “Family Full House with Rohit Sharma”. With his ready wit, earthy humour and down-to-earth persona, he is certain to attract healthy viewership; in any case, he has always been popular with the fans without going out of his way to try and endear himself. But the timing of his entry into showbiz has become convenient fodder for those who are convinced that Rohit is throwing up sugar-coated hints that the end is imminent.
It can’t be coincidental that for the teaser promo of his soon-to-be-aired show, Rohit sported a tee with the words ‘non committal’ visibly emblazoned at the front. His cheeky sense of humour is an open secret, and he stayed true to that as well as the ‘non-committal’ theme with his short comments on Thursday that have whipped up such a storm. There is nothing in the players’ contracts that prevent them from hosting shows when they are still active cricketers, but then again, why should fact come in the way of a good story?
Between takes and retakes, Rohit has been busy at work at training, honing his batting and fielding, and in the gym where he has continued to focus on fitness and strength. India’s next ODI faceoff is against former two-time World Cup winners West Indies at home later this month. This will be followed in November by a rare five-match showdown in New Zealand. For now, Rohit’s energies are geared towards the Caribbean challenge, after which there is plenty of time to prepare for the Kiwi examination.
Rohit won’t be unaware that his reality show could provide grist to the mill and that he could soon be labelled a ‘semi-serious’ cricketer, but over the years, he has magically found a way to keep such surmises at bay. It’s too early to say if he and/or Virat Kohli, or indeed even much younger guns like Gill and his deputy Shreyas Iyer, will be available for selection for the World Cup. Rohit might be placed (injudiciously) on trial on a series-by-series basis, but knowing him, he will take it match by match. And ‘see about’ October 2027 when the time is appropriate.