BCCI leaves Rohit’s future up in the air

Rohit Sharma during the third ODI between England and India, at Lord's cricket ground, London, on July 19, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP

The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI’s) performance review meeting on Thursday (September 3, 2026) did little to clear the air around Rohit Sharma’s ODI future, with its public position, on the former captain’s availability for selection, akin to a batsman deftly leaving a tricky delivery outside the off stump.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, while addressing the media after the meeting, appeared to brush aside speculation over Rohit’s future, pointing to the opener’s recent form.

“He is playing superbly in all matches. What more do you want? He scored 138 in the last match (on July 19). Don’t give fodder to such rumours,” Saikia said.

The remarks came after a meeting of the key stakeholders of India’s men’s teams to review the performances in England and Ireland and chart a roadmap towards the 2027 ODI World Cup. Saikia, however, stressed that the gathering was not a selection meeting.

“Today we did not have any selection meeting, we had a routine meeting like we have frequent meetings after an interval of two-three months.

“We discussed how our team performed in England and Ireland and a roadmap has been prepared so that we have a very good performance in the 2027 World Cup,” he said.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir, Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, Centre of Excellence head of cricket V.V.S. Laxman, BCCI president Mithun Manhas and Saikia attended the meeting. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar was absent owing to personal commitments.

Yet Rohit’s name inevitably hovered over the proceedings.

In July, reports had suggested that the Lord’s ODI against England on July 19 could be Rohit’s last in India colours. Saikia had then firmly rejected the speculation.

“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,” Saikia had said on July 17.

The Hindu understands, however, that the selection committee, in consultation with the team management, had informed Rohit during the Chennai ODI against Afghanistan in June that he was not part of its plans beyond the England series. Rohit is understood to have reluctantly accepted the decision.

The selection committee’s position, however, was subsequently overruled by the BCCI’s administrative behemoths, leading to Saikia’s public clarification ahead of the Lord’s game.

Thursday’s meeting did not revisit that decision in a formal manner. With Agarkar absent and no selection meeting on the agenda, the question of whether Rohit remains part of India’s ODI plans was left deliberately unresolved.