Imagine being Rohit Sharma. You are 39 years old, with over two decades of international cricket, and you have been told—informally, through whispers and reports—that July 20 might be your last day in the ODI squad. The selectors, rumoured to be planning for the 2027 World Cup, are said to have indicated they want to move on and give younger openers like Yashasvi Jaiswal a run. It is a cold, non-emotional calculation. But what if you can still deliver? What if you still have the hunger to grind, to stay away from vada pavs, to score runs under the gun?

That is exactly what Rohit Sharma did on July 12, 2025, at Lord's—the hallowed ground where he became the first Indian to score an ODI century. His 138 off 110 balls in the third and final ODI against England was not just a personal milestone; it was a statement. Coming into the match with eight consecutive ODI innings without a fifty, and with the axe hanging overhead, Rohit produced a daddy hundred. India were chasing 388, and he nearly got them there, but the team fell short. Still, the knock proved that Rohit Sharma is not India's problem in ODIs.

But the problems in Indian ODI cricket run far deeper than one opener's form. The Lord's defeat laid bare several structural deficiencies that no amount of individual brilliance can fix. The bowling attack, without Jasprit Bumrah, looked toothless. Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, and Prince Yadav went for runs galore; only Prasidh Krishna offered any resistance with 2 for 69. England cruised to 387 for 3, and India's chase fell short despite Rohit's heroics. Captain Shubman Gill admitted the team is missing a trick with injuries piling up—Bumrah, sidelined by a knee issue, was just one of five players from the original squad absent at Lord's.

The absence of a reliable backup for Bumrah is not a new issue. Since the 2023 World Cup, India's ODI bowling has been heavily reliant on the pace spearhead. When he is unavailable, the attack often lacks penetration and control. The decision to leave out Mohammed Siraj from the Champions Trophy squad and the England ODI series has also raised eyebrows. Siraj, who has shouldered the heaviest workload among Indian fast bowlers across formats, has played only nine of India's 23 ODIs since the last World Cup. His exclusion from a format where his skills are perfectly suited is a puzzling selection philosophy.

Equally puzzling is the handling of spin resources. Kuldeep Yadav, with 194 wickets in 121 ODIs, did not play a single match in the England series. Since his debut in 2017, he has picked 77 wickets away from home at an average of 22—more than any other Indian spinner in that period. Yet, since the 2023 World Cup final, he has played only six ODIs overseas, while Axar Patel has played 12 and Washington Sundar 9. The team management has repeatedly sidelined Kuldeep in favour of other options, even when the conditions demand variety. Former India batter Mohammad Kaif did not mince words: 'Kuldeep Yadav should be thinking of packing his bags and saying goodbye to international cricket. India's bowling attack at Lord's was one-dimensional and lacked variety.'

The selectors' approach to succession planning has been chaotic. Young all-rounder Harsh Dubey was publicly endorsed by captain Gill but was not originally part of the ODI squad. He was called up only as injury cover for Washington Sundar and did not get a single ball. Meanwhile, 33-year-old Shivam Dube was recalled to the ODI side for the first time since August 2024, a stopgap that does nothing to build for the future. The constant shuffling of players without a clear pathway is detrimental to team building. Ravindra Jadeja, with nearly 3,000 ODI runs and 232 wickets, has been effectively dropped without explanation. Former opener Aakash Chopra noted the confusion: 'Every time the team is selected, it is said that the player will continue to play the ODI format and that he has a key role to play, but he is not getting selected.'

The core issue is that Indian ODI cricket lacks depth in bowling and a coherent vision. The selectors are focusing on the wrong problems—phasing out senior batsmen—while ignoring the fragility of the bowling unit. Rohit Sharma answered the only question worth asking: can he still play the innings a crisis demands? Lord's said yes. But the selectors must ask themselves the harder questions: Why is the bowling attack so thin without Bumrah? Why are proven match-winners like Kuldeep and Jadeja being mismanaged? Why is there no plan for developing a bench that can step up when needed?

As the 2027 World Cup approaches, India cannot afford to waste time on experiments that lack direction. The team has talent in abundance, but it must be harnessed with a clear, long-term strategy. Rohit Sharma, for now, has bought himself more time. But unless the deeper issues are addressed, no century at Lord's will be enough to save the team from its structural failures.

Source: MSN News