TimesofIndia.com in Cardiff: Rohit Sharma has mustered just 37 runs from two ODIs against England in Birmingham and Cardiff. A 21-ball 11 at Edgbaston was followed by a 47-ball 26 at Sophia Gardens here on Thursday. For someone who once blitzed through attacks at the top of the order, he has become a walking wicket and a dream for bowlers because of his laboured approach. Across the two innings, he has managed just two boundaries and a six at a strike rate of 54.41. Where’s the ‘Hitman’?Of the 21 balls he faced at Edgbaston, 14 were dots, or 66.67 per cent. Move to the second ODI and the pattern remained the same. Of the 47 balls, 28 were dots, or nearly 60 per cent. Look closer and the scratchy nature of the innings becomes even clearer.Second ball at Edgbaston, the 39-year-old was slow to get his bat out of the way of a Jofra Archer delivery. It took the bat and flew towards slip. Two balls later, Archer left Rohit in two minds about whether to play or leave, and the indecision resulted in an inside edge that nearly toppled the stumps. In Archer’s next over, Rohit pushed forward but was beaten on the outside edge. The next ball beat him again, this time on the inside edge. One ball later, the right-hander was cut in half. Josh Tongue, too, put Rohit in disarray with his 140-plus kmph deliveries.
India’s Rohit Sharma walks off the pitch after being caught out by England’s Jos Buttler during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (AP | PTI)
Even though the Nataraj shot made an appearance in the form of a boundary, the fluency that was once expected from Rohit and defined “Mumbai cha Raja” remained missing.Move to Cardiff on Thursday.In Archer’s first over, Rohit was beaten on the inside edge after a front-foot prod. In the sixth over, Saqib Mahmood strayed onto Rohit’s pads, but his bread-and-butter flick shot failed to come through. In the 12th, Gus Atkinson banged in a short ball and Rohit, one of the better pull-shot players in this team, missed it completely. Two overs later, Rohit top-edged another short ball which, fortunately for him, landed safely between long leg and deep backward square leg.Finally, the dismissal summed up how scratchy Rohit has been lately. With Will Jacks into the attack, Rohit got down on one knee looking to sweep. Instead, he top-edged the ball, which lobbed up conveniently for wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.
India’s Rohit Sharma walks off the pitch after being caught out by England’s Jos Buttler during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (AP | PTI)
It isn’t just these two games. The former India captain has looked uncomfortable even in the nets. Before the series got underway, he opted to face sidearm specialists during the second nets session and had to switch ends after a point as he struggled to find his timing. Later, he went one step further with an open-nets approach, with the field spread out as a form of match simulation.On the eve of the first ODI, he arrived later than the other top-order batters and once again worked with the sidearm bowlers to gear up for the series.During the three ODIs against Afghanistan, Rohit scored 16, 48 and 79, a total of 143 runs at an average of 47.66 and a strike rate of 115.32. In the injury-hit IPL 2026, the right-hander scored just 283 runs from nine matches at an average of 35.38 and a strike rate of 157.22.
Former India captain Rohit Sharma.
With Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting in the wings despite scoring runs, Rohit’s lack of form is a worrying sign for India’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Granted, he is India’s highest run-scorer since the last ODI World Cup and since retiring from T20Is. But it is also true that, based on form, he trails skipper Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in runs scored since the start of last year as well as this year.Going purely by body language, Rohit does not inspire much confidence at the moment. The right-hander looks slow against seamers, something that could be a major factor at the ODI World Cup in South Africa. He is prone to injuries and looks almost unsure of himself. Even in the field, he is no longer the quickest off the blocks.By the time the ODI World Cup comes around, Rohit will be 40 years old and hoping to join a list that includes Chris Gayle, Brad Hogg, Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Tahir as some of the oldest players to feature in the tournament. But if current form is any indication, he should not be on that flight to South Africa.
