4 min readChennaiJun 20, 2026 08:09 PM IST
Long before the toss, as the Chepauk crowd got their first sighting of Rohit Sharma, a loud cheer went around the stands on Saturday. The chants of “Rohit, Rohit” followed soon as the 39-year-old raised his hand in acknowledgement during warm-ups. Having made 16 and 48 in the previous two innings this series, he had gone five innings on the trot without a fifty. With Ishan Kishan breathing down his neck and Yashasvi Jaiswal also in the wings, these are uncertain times for Rohit.
If there is one player whose spot is under scrutiny, it is Rohit’s. Not without reason. By the time the World Cup comes next year, he will be 40. He is already the oldest Indian to feature in an ODI. While he was run out at Dharamsala, at Lucknow he had looked the part before falling for 48. As much as the flow, there was still a bit of rustiness. In a series which would soon slip from memory, there was a lot riding on this innings for Rohit, with the entire Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel in attendance in Chennai. The squad for the England ODIs is yet to be announced and this appeared a litmus test.
In the middle, Rohit seemed oblivious to it all. And he had a crowd behind him. He may not have a big white-ball score to show at Chepauk, but has a Test century here, one of his very best, against England in 2021. So when he grabbed the first three catches, all at first slip off Prasidh Krishna, the smile was back on his face. The chants started again. Not for Prasidh. For Rohit. Even when he took the cap from the pacer and handed it to the umpire, the crowd cheered. And when the field spread and he went to long-off, the chants rose several decibels.
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It was reminiscent of the scene a few years ago when Rishabh Pant arrived at Chepauk for an ODI against West Indies, on the back of the Kotla crowd not just jeering him but chanting “Dhoni, Dhoni” when he had missed a stumping. Unlike Pant then, Rohit’s career is at a different stage, one where his relevance is under question. Chepauk seemed to be giving him what he needed. Made him feel he belonged. If they could do it for a 44-year-old, why not for a 39-year-old?
When Rohit strode out to bat, the 20,262 in the stands made it feel a lot more. Even though it was Jaiswal who got off to a brisk start, the crowd got behind Rohit for every delivery. Off the eighth ball, when he went for a pull and top-edged, the crowd held their breath before exhaling when it fell short and rolled to the boundary. By the time he creamed one through the covers, Rohit was getting his eye in. Then came the pull that soared over square leg and a fierce cut where he crouched and lofted it over the ring for a one-bounce four. That set Rohit going.
The aggressive approach Rohit has embraced in the format over the last three years took a back seat. At the other end, with Jaiswal showing full intent, Rohit absorbed the pressure, and once those confidence-inducing six and four came, he appeared a different batsman. He brought up his fifty off 47 deliveries with a trademark sweep. On an evening where Jaiswal too showed he is ready and merits opportunities, Rohit showed he is no pushover. Once he reached the landmark he switched gears, and by the time he holed out at mid-wicket for 79, he had the whole crowd chanting “Rohit, Rohit” again.
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The three-way battle for one spot is healthy, but uncertainty serves no one, least of all Rohit. Despite the fifty, it was hard not to notice a batsman playing for his place rather than one setting the tone and winning games in the first powerplay. That game is still in Rohit, but only if he knows his spot is safe. As Virat Kohli has said, Rohit too needs to be in a place where he is valued, not questioned.
