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Watch: Rohit Sharma Shares Laugh with Gautam Gambhir Amid Retirement Rumours Before Lord's ODI

Cricket Gully | July 18, 2026 11:39 PM CST

India batter Rohit Sharma was spotted having a fun exchange with head coach Gautham Gambhir on the balcony at Lord's ahead of the third and final ODI against England. The video was a major rage on social media as it surfaced at a time when there is intense speculation about Rohit's ODI future.

There was speculation that this could be Rohit's last appearance at Lord's ODI, with reports stating that the selectors as well as the team management wanted to prepare for the 2027 ODI World Cup without Rohit. However, neither Rohit nor the Indian team have not commented.

The BCCI also intervened to quash the speculations before the final game of the series. The nature of the interaction between Rohit and Gambhir, which went viral, seemed to be indicative of an easy atmosphere in the Indian camp before the crucial contest.

BCCI Dismisses Retirement Speculation

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia clearly stated that they haven't discussed about Rohit's retirement from ODI cricket.

"There are lot of speculations going on in media about Rohit Sharma's future. I want to firmly assert that there has been no such discussion that Rohit will be playing his last match at Lord's on Sunday. Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team and he will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the scheme of things. In other words, Lord's ODI won't be his last match," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said in a statement.

India will be looking to end their England ODI series on a victory, with Rohit expected to deliver a stellar performance at Lord's and affirm his spot in India's ODI circuit for the marquee event that will take place next year.

Also Read | Virat Kohli Creates History, Breaks Kumar Sangakkara's World Record in Cardiff ODI

Washington Sundar Ruled Out, Harsh Dubey Added

Rohit hasn't had the most fruitful of series with the bat so far. He made 11 in the first ODI before making a gritty 26 from 47 balls in Cardiff during the second match. He has made 241 runs from his eight ODI matches during 2026 and will be looking to finish the series with a flourish at Lord's.

On the other hand, the Indian team has to make a change in the final ODI. The BCCI has announced that Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the final ODI after a hamstring injury he suffered during the second game of the England series.

Harsh Dubey has been appointed as Sundar's replacement. The bowling all-rounder had appeared in the ODI series versus Afghanistan back in February before not being selected for the England tour.

Following the Lord's ODI, India's ODI players will get a small breather before making a second return to action against the West Indies later in September. But everything will be under the scanner once the series draws to a close, and the spotlight will be firmly on Sharma.