Online Sports Desk
Sunil Gavaskar said he was ‘disappointed’ to see Rohit Sharma get out for 92 against the West Indies in Sunday’s third ODI in New Chandigarh because he wants the Mumbaikar to end his career with more centuries than his age. Gavaskar conjectured that Rohit will call off his career after the 2027 World Cup and would regret all the times he got out in the 90s in his career.
Rohit, 39 years of age, has 35 ODI centuries to his name and missed the 36th by eight runs after he was caught in the outfield attempting a pull shot against Keemo Paul. It was the first time in seven years he had got out in the 90s.
“The reason I was disappointed with Rohit getting out on 92 is that he didn’t get a hundred, and he might possibly quit international cricket after the end of the 2027 World Cup,” Gavaskar said on JioStar. “And at that particular point in time, when he decides to call it a day, I personally would like Rohit to have more ODI hundreds than his age. Had he gotten a century in the third ODI, he would have moved closer to achieving that feat with his 36th hundred. For me, it’s a special thing when a player’s hundreds outnumber his age at retirement. It shows the kind of career they have had and the standard they have maintained for so many years. That is why I really want Rohit to reach that mark.”
Rohit hasn’t confirmed that he would retire after the 2027 World Cup but has made it clear that the tournament is his biggest aim for the moment. He has worked on his fitness and even fended off an approach from the departing chief Ajit Agarkar to push him out of the team’s plans.
Slow starts but grand finishes?
Gavaskar also said that he has observed a ‘slight change’ where Rohit is putting more value on his wicket and, unlike in 2023, is not starting off aggressively. It’s backed by the stats because Rohit was striking at around 117.07 in 2023, which has dropped to 104.68 in 2026, but is still quite healthy because the Mumbai Indians star is an expert at making up for slow starts later in the innings.
