Sunil Gavaskar’s big wish for Rohit Sharma before 2027 World Cup retirement

Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar has revealed why Rohit Sharma’s dismissal for 92 in the third ODI against the West Indies left him disappointed, saying he hopes the former India captain can continue until the 2027 ODI World Cup and retire with more ODI centuries than his age.

Rohit has scored 35 ODI centuries so far and missed out on a 36th in the final match of the series. India lost the game after the West Indies chased down 352, with captain Shai Hope hitting an unbeaten 162, but won the three-match series 2-1.

Gavaskar wants Rohit to reach a mark

Speaking to JioStar, Gavaskar said Rohit’s dismissal for 92 was frustrating because another century would have taken him closer to a milestone he would like to see him achieve before retirement.

“The reason I was disappointed with Rohit getting out on 92 is because he didn't get a hundred and he might possibly quit international cricket after the end of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027,” Gavaskar said.

“At that particular point of time, when he decides to call it a day, I personally would like Rohit to have more ODI hundreds than his age. Had he got a century in the third ODI, he would have moved closer to achieving that feat with his 36th hundred.”

Gavaskar said he has always viewed the number of centuries a player scores compared with their age at retirement as a measure of longevity and consistency.

“For me, it's a special thing when a player's hundreds outnumber his age at retirement. It shows the kind of career they have had and the standard they have kept for so many years,” he said.

Rohit’s approach has changed

Gavaskar also pointed to a change in Rohit’s batting since the 2023 ODI World Cup. As captain during that tournament, Rohit regularly attacked from the opening ball, accepting the risk of losing his wicket in exchange for giving India fast starts.

According to Gavaskar, Rohit now appears more willing to value his wicket and turn promising starts into big scores.

“A slight change has appeared in the batting template of Rohit that he himself set as the captain for the 2023 World Cup, where he was going bang-bang from the first ball, irrespective of the possibility of getting out sooner. Now he recognises that his wicket is valuable,” Gavaskar said.

The former India captain added that Rohit is not a batter who should settle for 30 or 40 runs when he gets set.

“He's a hundred-maker! And therefore, I'm happy to see him score big runs,” Gavaskar said.

He also stressed that Rohit’s ability to score centuries quickly remains a major advantage for India in ODI cricket.

“If he scores big, he gets a hundred in 70-80 deliveries, which is helpful for the team because that is a great scoring rate in a 50-over game,” Gavaskar said.