Rohit Sharma begins preparations for England ODIs: Details here
What's the story
Former India captain Rohit Sharma has arrived in England ahead of the highly anticipated ODI series against the hosts. The first match of the three-match series will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on July 14. This will be Rohit's first international assignment since featuring in the Afghanistan ODI series in June. He had been training in India during this period.
Return
Return to international cricket
After the IPL 2026 season, Rohit made a successful return to ODIs during the Afghanistan series. He looked in decent touch, recording scores of 16, 48, and 79. The former captain was recently honored with India's fourth-highest civilian award, the Padma Shri. Rohit, whose only active international format is ODIs, has started training in England, as per the videos doing the rounds on social media.
Team dynamics
Age-related concerns
As the ODI World Cup 2027 approaches, questions about Rohit's age and fitness are likely to come up. At 39, these concerns have been more pronounced in recent years. However, Rohit is determined to prove his worth with his delightful starts. He has already started training and has one more week to get used to England's conditions before the series starts.
Reminder
Reminder of Rohit's ODI prowess
Rohit has, time and again, shown that he still belongs in India's journey to the 2027 ODI World Cup. According to ESPNcricinfo, his strike rate in ODIs since 2022 has been over 110 (111.67).