Rohit Sharma breaks silence on ODI retirement buzz after blistering 34th ODI hundred

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Jul 20, 2026: Rohit Sharma had a cheeky response ready for the retirement whispers that followed him into the Lord’s ODI against England: “No noise means no fun".

With reports claiming that the match could mark the end of his ODI career, the Indian opener chose not to address the speculation with a statement. Instead, he answered it with a century. India may have fallen short by 27 runs at Lord’s and lost the series, but Rohit’s 34th ODI hundred delivered a clear message: the Hitman is not ready to walk away yet.

The retirement talk had intensified after India’s defeat in the second ODI in Cardiff, with reports suggesting that Rohit could call time on his 50-over career after the Lord’s fixture. The BCCI dismissed the speculation, but the noise continued to surround one of India’s greatest ODI batters.

Rohit, as always, let the bat do the talking.

With his international journey now limited to one format, the 50-over game has become more than just another chapter for Rohit- it is unfinished business. The 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa remains the one prize he still wants to hold, the one dream that slipped away on November 19, 2023, in Ahmedabad.

The then captain retreated into a shell, needing weeks to process the heartbreak.

Since then, his career has taken a sharper turn. After walking away from T20 internationals as a World Cup winner and stepping away from Test cricket without the farewell he may have envisioned, Rohit has narrowed his focus to the ODI format- chasing one last chance at World Cup glory.

His preparation has reflected that hunger. Losing around 10 kilos was not just a physical transformation; it was a statement that he still wanted to stretch his international journey. The breaks between appearances may raise questions about rhythm, but once Rohit finds his range, the familiar sight returns- the pull shots, the towering sixes and the effortless dominance that made him the “Hitman".

At Lord’s, he turned back the clock.

Chasing England’s imposing 388-run target, a score that evoked memories of India’s famous NatWest Series final chase in 2002, Rohit began cautiously before unleashing his trademark strokeplay. The pull shots arrived, the boundaries flowed, and England’s attack began to feel the pressure.

Batting at a strike rate of 125.45, Rohit smashed five sixes and 17 boundaries during his 138-run knock before falling to part-time spinner Jacob Bethell.

The result hurt. The message did not. Breaking his silence on the retirement rumours after the match, Rohit insisted that outside chatter has never dictated his cricket.

“My job is with my bat. Come and represent the country- that’s what I have been told to do since I made my debut. That’s what I am doing," Rohit told BCCI.tv.

“The noise since I made my debut was there, and till I am going to stay here, it is always going to be there. It does not really matter too much. What matters is what I do on the field and try and contribute to the success of the team," he continued.

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Then came the line that summed up Rohit’s approach to criticism.

“When there is no noise, there is no fun. My job is inside, their job is outside. That’s how I look at it."

The noise may continue. The questions may return. But after Lord’s, Rohit Sharma once again reminded everyone that as long as the bat keeps answering, the conversation about his ending can wait.