Jun 21, 2026 06:07 am IST

Safe...For Now: Rohit Sharma And The Curious Art Of Delaying The Inevitable

By the time Rohit Sharma had walked out to bat in Chennai on Saturday evening, he would have known the conversations about him.

Rica Roy Rica Roy Sports Editor, NDTV 24x7

Rica Roy Sports Editor, NDTV 24x7

By the time Rohit Sharma had walked out to bat in Chennai on Saturday evening, he would have known the conversations about him. Modern cricketers do not need to doom scroll through their social media handles to know the buzz. Stars like Rohit Sharma move with an entourage and then often act as the eyes and years of the superstar. They are the 'f&fs', or friends and families cheering them on. The f&fs know about speculations, they know about the direction of the wind, with that opinion.

But a character like Sharma does not mind them. He has lived with these questions for close to three years now. Except the question was more immediate. Was the ODI vs Afghanistan in Chennai his swansong?

For now it seems that conversations have been settled.

As things stand, Rohit Sharma will board that flight to England next month. There are three ODIs scheduled in Birmingham, Cardiff and London between July 14 and 19, and India's old guard isn't being pushed aside just yet.

It is unlikely he will go when there are still runs left in the bat. On Saturday against Afghanistan, Hitman showed that there were plenty.

When you want to put a batter to a test, pitch him against the No.1 bowler. And is what BCCI........

© NDTV