- By Sunny Daud
- Tue, 30 Jun 2026 01:27 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes Rohit Sharma has a great opportunity to prove that he is still India’s best choice to open the batting in the 2027 ODI World Cup.
India will face England in a three-match ODI series from July 14 to July 19. The series will also mark the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli (subject to availability), who now play only ODI cricket for India.
Gavaskar feels the England series will be an important test for Rohit as he looks to strengthen his place in India’s World Cup plans.
Rohit Knows What Is Expected of Him
Gavaskar reckons that Rohit is already aware of where he stands and understands what he needs to do over the coming months. He believes the experienced opener only needs to keep performing consistently.
“When has there not been a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma, there has always been a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma,” Gavaskar said in an interaction organised by Sony Sports.
“He knows where he stands. I think there obviously has been a clear sort of information flow from those who matter and Rohit Sharma. He knows exactly where he stands and all that he needs to do over the next year-and-a-half leading up to the World Cup is to consistently deliver.
“I don’t think he’s the kind of person who feels any pressure with the talent and the ability that he has. England (tour) is a very good platform for him to show that even a year-and-a-half down the road, he’ll be there opening the batting for India.”
Pressure Never Goes Away in Indian Cricket
Gavaskar said every Indian cricketer faces constant attention from the day they make their debut. He added that senior players like Rohit and Virat Kohli have enough experience to deal with that pressure.
“When you are a young player making a debut, the scrutiny is on you, how you handle international (cricket’s) pressure, whether you have the temperament and the taste for international competition,” he said.
“The scrutiny starts from there and it hardly ever ends as far as Indian cricket is concerned, and so the scrutiny being on them is not going to be something new for them.
“They know how to handle the pressure and they know that the only way is to keep on scoring runs, to keep on taking the catches that come their way, affect the run outs and at the same time, be at hand to the captain to give their advice because of their experience that they have had as captains,” he added.
Fitness Becomes the Biggest Talking Point After 35
The batting great said that once players cross the age of 35, people start talking more about their fitness than their temperament. However, he believes Rohit and Kohli have the experience to manage those expectations.
“As you age and come post 35, the scrutiny is more on your physical conditioning and fitness rather than the temperament,” he said.
“With the experience that they have, they’ll be able to take care of that quite easily.”
Gavaskar Sees a Bright Future for India’s White-Ball Team
Gavaskar is also confident about the future of India’s white-ball side. He believes the current group has a strong core that can stay together for many years and build a lasting legacy.
“There will be a little tweak here and there, surely, but when you look at the core which is going to be there for the next maybe 8-10 years if not more, I do believe that this team has the capability of leaving up a very lasting, very enjoyable legacy when they when they finish with their cricket,” he said.
Gavaskar Surprised by Ben Stokes’ Retirement Timing
Gavaskar also shared his thoughts on Ben Stokes’ decision to retire from international cricket. He said the decision itself was not surprising, but he expected the England all-rounder to announce it later in the season.
“I thought he would probably retire at the end of the season, play against Pakistan and when the England’s home season ends, that is when I thought he would probably call it a call it a day,” he said.
“The surprise is only in the timing, a little bit earlier than what I thought. Somebody of his caliber, quality, (and) impact not being in the team is always very good for the opposition,” Gavaskar added.