On Thursday, July 16, 2026, India’s opener Rohit Sharma failed for the second consecutive time in the second ODI against England at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff by scoring without a substantial total. Virat Kohli had a strong start, but after batting 26 from 47 balls, he exposed the squad. Former Indian spinner Dodda Ganesh assesses Rohit Sharma’s innings.
Rohit Sharma was unexpectedly removed because he was unable to time the ball. He tried to sweep a delivery from Will Jacks but gloved the ball into the hands of wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. 40 runs for the second wicket had previously been contributed by Rohit and Kohli. While Kohli seemed to be in perfect touch, Rohit, who first struggled, started to regain his rhythm.
Ganesh conjectured that Rohit Sharma might have played a slower-than-normal innings due to pressure to save his place on the team. “Rohit Sharma’s timid batting approach is baffling to say the least,” Ganesh said. I haven’t seen Rohit in the ODIs with such a mindset in a very long time. Ganesh wrote on X, “I think he’s thinking about the pressure of maintaining his position.”
Rohit Sharma’s problems exacerbate India’s top-order problems.
The question of how well the opening batter performs in foreign settings is raised by his subpar performance throughout the series. Rohit Sharma defeated Sam Curran to Harry Brook after scoring 11 off of 21 balls in the first ODI at Edgbaston.
His innings ended before he could accelerate or establish himself as the anchor of the pursuit. Due to consecutive dismissals, his place at the top of India’s batting order during a pivotal series when the team is leading 1-0 has come under scrutiny.
Serious worries are being raised by the right-handed batsman’s apparent deviation from the aggressive style that defined his batting at the 2023 World Cup.
The more methodical approach has resulted in runs, but it hasn’t necessarily produced the kind of dominant innings that could give India the advantage on the powerplay. In the forthcoming third ODI, India will rely on its seasoned opener to deliver when it matters most.
