TimesofIndia.com in London: There were plenty of chants as Rohit Sharma walked into the iconic Lord’s cricket ground on Saturday. The mood remained the same as he walked out nearly three hours later.“The most important man in all of India!” yelled one fan. Another declared, “Ek century pakka kal! (One century tomorrow for sure!),” as Rohit smiled and took his place in the luxury black bus. The runs may not be flowing for the ‘Hitman’. The naysayers may be pushing him out of the side rather than backing him to stay. But fans do not see things that way. Rohit Sharma has scored 891 runs since the start of 2025, behind Shubman Gill’s 974 and Virat Kohli’s 961. This year, he has scored 241 runs, behind Gill’s 484 and Kohli’s 310. The pressure, even if the team management denies it, must be playing a role.As Rohit and Kohli prepare for what could be their last bilateral game in England, their contributions to the game have not been forgotten.“They’ve obviously been phenomenal players for many years, and it’s good to see them still playing the game,” England skipper Harry Brook said ahead of the third ODI, with the series locked at 1-1.Rohit has scored only 37 runs in the ongoing series, 11 in Birmingham and 26 at Cardiff, prompting questions over whether the 39-year-old’s place in India’s ODI team is under threat. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak insisted there was no pressure to speak of.On Saturday, Morne Morkel added another proverbial arm around Rohit’s shoulder.“It is hard work with the new ball upfront. We have seen that throughout the series. The ball is moving around.“So batting upfront is not easy. No doubt Rohit will work it out. He has done it in the past. He is experienced, and he brings calmness to the batting line-up. So, without a doubt, there are no worries or concerns at all about the way he is going about things,” the South African added.His record at Lord’s does not inspire much confidence. The right-hander has played five matches at the venue and scored just 133 runs, including an 83 in a Test in 2021. In four white-ball matches, he has managed only 29 runs, with a top score of 15 in 2018. In fact, his last outing here ended in a 10-ball duck as England thrashed India by 100 runs.Hoping to change that, Rohit took part in the optional practice session ahead of the third ODI alongside Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav and Prince Yadav.During a batting stint that lasted just over an hour, Rohit faced Kuldeep, Mayank Yadav and the sidearm specialists. He looked largely in good touch and in control. During breaks, he joked and laughed with members of the support staff. After finishing, he walked to the bench, took off his gear and had a lengthy chat with coach Gautam Gambhir. Even before the nets session, Rohit was seen standing alongside Gambhir and Kotak on the Lord’s balcony, sharing a hearty laugh.Even if this turns out to be the last ODI of Rohit Sharma’s illustrious career, the crowd will undoubtedly turn up in large numbers for one final glimpse of one of India’s greatest white-ball cricketers at one of the game’s most iconic venues.
