'Retire gracefully': Rohit Sharma faces fierce fan backlash, asked to make way for Yashasvi Jaiswal after ENG vs IND 1st ODI

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'Retire gracefully': Rohit Sharma faces fierce fan backlash, asked to make way for Yashasvi Jaiswal after ENG vs IND 1st ODI originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Rohit Sharma made a laboured 11 off 21 balls in India's 259-run chase in the first ODI against England at Edgbaston.
  • Fans called for his retirement and demanded Yashasvi Jaiswal replace him as opener permanently before the 2027 ODI World Cup.
  • Jaiswal has reportedly scored two centuries in his last three matches.

Rohit Sharma asked to make way for Yashasvi Jaiswal before 2027 ODI World Cup

India's ODI leg was supposed to be the great reset. After a humiliating 4-0 T20I whitewash, the return of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah promised experience, authority and a way out of the wreckage at Edgbaston.

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The bowlers delivered handsomely, dismissing England for 258 with Axar Patel claiming four wickets. What followed with the bat, however, has sent Indian social media into open revolt against one of its most decorated servants.

Rohit crawled to 11 from 21 balls before edging Sam Curran to Harry Brook, departing with India 43 for 1 in the eighth over. In a chase of 259, the innings looked laboured, uncertain and for a growing section of supporters, unforgivable.

MORE: 'Not ready for international cricket': Indian fans left frustrated with Sooryavanshi

Fans demand Jaiswal replaces Rohit as India opener

The reaction was immediate and unsparing. One fan cut straight to the succession question and compared how abysmal Rohit's numbers have been to Yashasvi Jaiswal. "Btw Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored two centuries in his last three matches but is still not in the team due to Rohit Sharma," they wrote.

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Their argument is hard to dismiss, as Jaiswal has proved himself to be one of Team India's more consistent batters. On the other hand, one fan was considerably blunter about what should happen next. "Rohit Sharma is finished, and age is also not on his side," the supporter posted. "He should retire gracefully and make way for Jaiswal if he is really selfless and puts the team before himself."

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Meanwhile, on the other end of the debate, one mentioned the strike rate as the core problem rather than the runs themselves. "Hard truth: If Rohit Sharma is going to crawl to 11 off 21 balls in a 259-run chase, he should take retirement and give Yashasvi Jaiswal a permanent spot in the playing 11," they wrote. "Keeping young talent on the bench for sluggish legacy performances is hurting the team."

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For someone named the Hitman, a dropping strike rate is the worst thing that can happen to Rohit. Some framed it as a selection question with a 2027 deadline attached. "Rohit Sharma can't be India's main opener for the 2027 ODI WC in SA," one fan argued. "The sooner the BCCI realises this, the better it will be for the team and other deserving players!"

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Not everyone reached for the guillotine. One supporter offered a more measured verdict. "A very poor inning comes to end from Rohit Sharma. He looked under too much pressure; next 2 innings gonna be very crucial for him as regard to ODI WC in South Africa," wrote one supporter. The fan made a great point considering the amount of times Rohit has been the point of contention between India's wins and losses.

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However, despite his credentials, Rohit's declining form is not new. His performance in this season's IPL was also much more underwhelming than what fans are usually accustomed to seeing.

MORE: 'Bowlers are second-class citizens in IPL': Atherton's blunt verdict on Sooryavanshi

The uncomfortable maths behind the anger

There is a legitimate cricketing argument buried beneath the noise. Rohit is 39, plays only one format, and this tour has offered little evidence that he can still dominate the new ball in English conditions, historically his happiest hunting ground overseas.

Yet the timing of the backlash sits awkwardly with the facts. Rohit averages 64.90 in ODIs in England, the finest record of any visiting batter, and made a half-century in his most recent ODI innings against Afghanistan. One failure in a low chase is thin evidence for a career verdict.

The genuine question is not whether Rohit deserves to be dropped today but whether India can afford a 40-year-old opener in South Africa. Shubman Gill said only this week that the seniors remain integral, and Kohli's lbw for five suggests the problem is not Rohit alone.

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