TimesofIndia.com in Cardiff: Rohit Sharma mustered just 37 runs from two ODIs against England in Birmingham and Cardiff. A 21-ball 11 at Edgbaston was followed by a 47-ball 26 at Sophia Gardens here on Thursday. For someone who once blitzed the attacks at the top of the order, he has become a wicket-taker and a dream for bowlers because of his industrious approach. Across the two innings, he managed just two boundaries and a six at a strike rate of 54.41. Where is the “Hitman”?Of the 21 balls he faced at Edgbaston, 14 were points, or 66.67 per cent. Move on to the second ODI and the pattern remained the same. Of the 47 balls, 28 were points, or almost 60 percent. Look closer and the scratchy nature of the innings becomes even clearer.Second ball at Edgbaston, the 39-year-old was slow to get his bat out of the way of a Jofra Archer delivery. He took the bat and flew towards slip. Two balls later, Archer left Rohit in two minds about whether to play or leave, and the indecision resulted in an inside edge that almost went over the stumps. In Archer’s next, Rohit pushed forward but was beaten on the outside edge. The next ball he beat again, this time on the inside edge. A ball later, the forehand was cut in half. Josh Tongue, too, put Rohit in disarray with his 140 kmph-plus deliveries.
India’s Rohit Sharma walks off the field after being caught by England’s Jos Buttler during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP | PTI)
Although Nataraj’s knock made an appearance in the form of boundaries, the fluency that was once expected from Rohit and defined ‘Mumbai cha Raja’ remained missing.Transfer to Cardiff on Thursday.In Archer’s first over, Rohit was beaten on the inside edge after a front prod. In the sixth over, Saqib Mahmood strays onto Rohit’s pads, but his bread-and-butter shot is unsuccessful. In the 12th over, Gus Atkinson hit a short ball and Rohit, one of the best pull-shot players in this team, missed it completely. Two overs later, Rohit bowled another short ball which luckily for him landed safely between long leg and backward square leg.Finally, the dismissal summed up how scratchy Rohit has been of late. With Will Jacks in the attack, Rohit gets down on his knees looking to sweep. Instead, he collected the ball, which conveniently lobbed for wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.
India’s Rohit Sharma walks off the field after being caught by England’s Jos Buttler during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP | PTI)
It’s not just these two games. The former India captain looked uncomfortable in the nets as well. Before the series started, he opted to face the sidearm specialists during the second net session and had to change the end after one point as he struggled to find his timing. Later, I went a step further with an open network approach, with the field spread out as a form of match simulation.On the eve of the first ODI, he arrived later than the other first-order batsmen and worked once with the sidearm bowlers to prepare for the series.During the three ODIs against Afghanistan, Rohit scored 16, 48 and 79, a total of 143 runs at an average of 47.66 and a strike rate of 115.32. In the injury-hit IPL 2026, the right-hander scored just 283 runs from nine matches at an average of 35.38 and a strike rate of 157.22.
Former Indian captain Rohit Sharma.
With Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting in the wings despite the runs, Rohit’s lack of form is a worrying sign for India’s plans for the ODI World Cup 2027. Of course, he is India’s highest run-scorer since the last ODI World Cup and since his retirement from T20Is. But it is also true that, based on form, he trails skipper Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in runs scored since the start of last year as well as this year.Going purely by body language, Rohit does not inspire much confidence at the moment. The right-hander looks slow against the seamers, something that could be a major factor at the ODI World Cup in South Africa. He is prone to injuries and seems almost unsure of himself. Even on the field, he’s no longer the fastest out of the blocks.By the time the ODI World Cup rolls around, Rohit will be 40 and hoping to join a list that includes Chris Gayle, Brad Hogg, Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Tahir as some of the oldest players to feature in the tournament. But if current form is any indication, he shouldn’t be on that flight to South Africa.