NEW DELHI: Following his sensational performance and India’s thrilling victory over Australia in the third One Day International, cricket fans have received exciting news regarding Rohit Sharma’s future. His childhood coach, Dinesh Lad, announced on Saturday that the veteran batter plans to retire after participating in the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Sharma’s incredible knock, which saw him smash his 50th international century in Sydney, cemented his position as the top run-scorer in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia.
During India’s pursuit of 237 runs, Sharma’s commanding 121 not out, coupled with a crucial partnership with his long-time teammate Virat Kohli, captivated a packed stadium. Many speculate this could have been their final memorable outing together on Australian soil.
“The way Rohit batted today and how he contributed to India’s win—it felt great to watch the match. He will play the 2027 ODI World Cup and retire after that,” a proud Dinesh Lad stated.
Speaking on Virat Kohli, who delivered a steady 74 not out after two uncharacteristic ducks in Perth and Adelaide, Lad addressed the ongoing discussions surrounding the player. “There are often misunderstandings about Virat,” Lad noted. “He is someone who can thrive anytime and anywhere. His performance today was truly satisfying. Sachin Tendulkar himself once predicted that Rohit and Virat would be the ones to break his records, and seeing them inch closer feels incredibly good.”
Recapping the match, Australia won the toss and opted to bat first. A solid 61-run opening stand from skipper Mitchell Marsh (41 off 50 balls) and Travis Head (29 off 25 balls) provided a strong foundation. Matt Short added 30 runs, followed by a 59-run partnership between Matt Renshaw (56 off 58 balls) and Alex Carey (24 off 37 balls), which propelled the Aussies to 183/3. However, a dramatic middle-order collapse led to them being bowled out for 236 in just 46.4 overs. Harshit Rana (4/39) and Washington Sundar (2/44) were the standout bowlers, supported by a wicket each from Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav.
In response, India began their chase of 237 with confidence, thanks to a 69-run opening stand featuring Shubman Gill (24 off 26 balls). The highlight for fans, however, was the spectacular, unbeaten 168-run partnership between Rohit Sharma (121* off 125 balls) and Virat Kohli (74* off 81 balls), which comfortably steered India to a nine-wicket victory.
For his exceptional all-round performance throughout the series, Rohit Sharma was deservedly named both ‘Player of the Match’ and ‘Player of the Series,’ concluding as the leading run-scorer with a total of 202 runs, including a century and a half-century.