For weeks, the narrative around the legendary Rohit Sharma revolved around one burning question and one burning question only – was the end near?
It seemed like every press conference, every speculating column and every news report pointed towards the notion that this could well be the curtain call for the man who has scored so many iconic centuries for India.
But Rohit had other ideas, having replied most emphatically possible by not only announcing his presence at the game’s most prestigious stage, the Home of Cricket, but also by doing what only he can do best – post a breathtaking century.
And in doing so, he not only laid to rest the fears about his retirement but also reignited the race for the number one slot in the ICC Men’s ODI Batter Rankings.
Rohit Sharma’s Century That Changed More Than the Match
The latest ICC rankings reveal interesting details.
Despite New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell remaining at the top with 802 rating points, others have come extremely close to overtaking him.
Shubman Gill is only one point away from the number one spot with 801 points after scoring a brilliant 188 in the ODI series against England, while Virat Kohli holds at the third spot with 767 points.
Rohit Sharma, who scored a century at Lord’s, has moved up to the fourth position with 758 points, which is 14 points more than before.
It is truly remarkable that India’s three best batsmen are in the race for the top spot, which highlights the competitiveness of T20I cricket.
Lord’s Witnessed Another Rohit Sharma Masterclass
While chasing down a formidable target of 388, Rohit Sharma delivered yet another special innings in his ODI career, scoring a stunning 138 from 110 balls, including 17 boundaries and 5 sixes. The innings saw him equal the record for the highest individual score by an India batsman at Lord’s, and also become the first Indian to score a century there.
And that he did it while battling through painful cramps and with a spare bat provided by Shardul Thakur only adds to the panache of the innings.
It was yet another elegant innings from the Indian skipper, but the context in which it came was even more special.
While a special century was always on the cards, what Rohit did next says even more about his temperament. Despite the talk around his potential retirement from the game, Rohit Sharma has reiterated that the opinion of others will not dictate his time on the field.
“The noise since I made my debut was there. And till the time I’m going to stay here, it’s always going to be there. So it doesn’t really matter too much,” said Rohit Sharma in conversation with BCCI.tv.
“What matters is what I do on the field, try to contribute to the success of the team… If there’s no noise, there’s no fun. My job is inside; their job is outside.”
This was the kind of comment that encapsulated Rohit Sharma’s attitude towards his own career. It was a stoic pragmatism, accepting but also shutting out distractions to focus on what mattered most – playing his natural game.
England Series Shakes Up the ICC Rankings
Despite the series result, India’s 2-1 loss to England, some batsmen saw their rankings improve.
Joe Root continued his fine form with the bat as he scored 249 runs unbeaten across the three-match series, taking him up four spots to 8th in the latest ICC ODI Rankings. The same series saw Ben Duckett jump 11 places to tie at 19th, with Jacob Bethell also climbing five spots to 64th.
Meanwhile, Jofra Archer’s five-wicket haul in the series kept him right at the top of the bowling charts, with the Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan and Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed also moving up to 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Also read: Shreyas Iyer Urges India to Embrace Pressure as Zimbabwe Series Offers Fresh Start
The latest rankings show how close the race for the number one slot is in men’s ODI cricket. 44 rating points separate the top four batsmen in the world.
Daryl Mitchell holds the narrow advantage over the Indian trio of Gill, Kohli and Sharma. However, if Gill maintains his current form or Kohli returns to his best or if Sharma scores another century like the one in Lord’s, that could well be enough for India to have their man at the top of the rankings.
But for Rohit Sharma, it could be that his work on the field may well achieve something even more important. By scoring that century in England, he ensured that the talk of his retirement was premature.
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