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On the eve of the ODI series against England in Nagpur earlier this month, Rohit Sharma had played down speculations about his future in international cricket, saying it was irrelevant to talk about his career at a time when he was focussed on the ODIs against England and the ICC Champions Trophy.
Rohit has achieved the first mission by sweeping the ODI series and also getting back to form with a superlative century in the second ODI in Cuttack. Now he is on to his next mission, the Champions Trophy, and the match against Bangladesh today is an ideal platform for the ageing superstar to start the ICC event on a positive note. The legion of fans are hoping that he, along with another struggling star, Virat Kohli, repeats the feat they had performed when India faced Bangladesh the only time in a Champions Trophy match at Edgbaston in Birmingham in 2017.
In the 2017 semi-final, Bangladesh had posted a respectable 264 and at that time it seemed a challenging total. But after Shikhar Dhawan (46) fell at 87, Rohit (123 not out) and Kohli (96 not out) produced an unbroken alliance of 178 to take the team across the line. Eight years later, the two are obviously not as young and there have been questions galore about their form and fitness. But with grit and determination, the two have somehow remained relevant, playing an odd good innings that gives glimpses of their vintage past.
After the T20 World Cup triumph in the Caribbean last year, both had bid adieu to the shortest form of cricket. Now their continued presence in ODIs and Test cricket is under scanner. Many feel that this could well be the last hurrah for Rohit, at least in 50-over format, and if his form deserts him in the Champions Trophy, it could well be his final international assignment. To prove his detractors wrong, like he did in the ODI series against England, it is imperative for Rohit to hit the top gear in today’s match by doing an encore of that superlative innings at Birmingham eight years ago.
Kohli’s plight is almost similar, the only difference is that he is younger and fitter than Rohit and many believe he still has a couple of years of top-class cricket left in him. Therefore, for him too, this ICC tournament is important.
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