Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar has urged India to move on from Rohit Sharma in ODI cricket. Manjrekar feels that the veteran’s fitness remains an issue and his recent form is not quite up to the mark. Rohit recently returned with scores of 16, 48, and 79 in three ODIs against Afghanistan.
Earlier in the year, Rohit could only manage 61 runs in three ODIs against New Zealand. Rohit didn’t have a great run in IPL 2026 as well, scoring 283 runs in nine matches, and was troubled with a hamstring injury.
Manjrekar reckons the selectors should back young players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan in ODIs, keeping in mind the next year’s World Cup. Jaiswal scored a stunning knock of 110 runs in the third ODI against the Afghans, but was dropped from the ODI squad against England.
“Sai Sudharsan has got three fifties in his four innings (two fifties in three innings) batting at the top of the order for India,” Manjrekar told Sportstar. “Yashasvi Jaiswal’s last innings is 116 not out against South Africa. And yet, these guys are not playing for India. Instead, the selectors have gone with a veteran whose fitness is a question mark and who is clearly out of form. Now explain that to me. What is the logic behind it? What is the vision?
Manjrekar said the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel should apologise to Jaiswal for not backing him for England ODIs.
“If they were compelled to pick Rohit Sharma for whatever reason, the first thing they’ve got to do is pick up the phone and talk to Jaiswal and apologise, because this is a young player who’s done tremendous things at the toughest level, in Test cricket. He’s just 24 years old, in his prime, with a bright future ahead, same with Sai Sudharsan.”
Manjrekar said the trio of Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sai Sudharsan is an ideal top three in ODIs, whereas Virat Kohli has a strong case in the 50-over format.
“(Shubman) Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jaiswal are tailor-made to be a top three in 50-overs cricket, and you’re not backing them, and you’re going to a Rohit Sharma,” he added. “At least with Virat Kohli, he has a case. It cannot be the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, believing that this is the right way forward for Indian cricket. I cannot imagine him thinking this is the right way forward.”
“It’s just the wrong way to go about it. You’ve got two younger options who have done well, in the prime of their career, in good form. I would have gone about it differently but it seems like the selectors want to keep the focus on these two guys and give them the best possible deal, which I don’t agree with. Virat deserves it, Rohit Sharma doesn’t, but I think that’s how they’re going about it.”
India will play three ODIs against England in July.
