New Delhi, 20 July (H.S.):

Former Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who scored a brilliant 138-run knock against England at Lord’s, has said that his only focus is to perform for the Indian team. He made it clear that external criticism and discussions do not affect him, as his responsibility is to give his best for the country on the field.

Ahead of the Lord’s ODI match, several media reports had claimed that the game could potentially be Rohit Sharma’s last international appearance for India. However, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Devajit Saikia had dismissed such reports as baseless. After the match, Rohit’s comments also appeared to put an end to those speculations.

In a video released by the BCCI on Monday, Rohit said, “My job is to perform with the bat and step onto the field to represent my country. This has been my responsibility since my debut, and I will continue doing the same in the future.”

He added that outside discussions and criticism have been a constant part of his career since the beginning and have never influenced his mindset or approach towards the game.

“Since the time I made my debut, this noise has always been there. It will continue as long as I play. So, it does not matter to me. The most important thing for me is what I do on the field and how much I contribute to the team’s success,” Rohit said.

With a smile, he added, “Let the noise continue. If there is no noise, there is no fun. My job is inside the boundary, while the critics’ job is outside it. I look at it from that perspective.”

Brilliant 138-Run Knock Could Not Secure Victory

Rohit Sharma’s outstanding 138-run innings in the third and final ODI at Lord’s once again highlighted that he still has plenty of cricket left in him. However, his magnificent effort could not help India secure victory.

Batting first, England posted a massive total of 387 runs for the loss of three wickets. In reply, India managed 360 runs for seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs, falling short by 27 runs. Apart from Rohit, captain Shubman Gill scored 77 runs and Virat Kohli contributed 74 runs, but India failed to chase down the target.

With this victory, England won the three-match ODI series 2-1. Earlier, India had also suffered a 4-0 defeat against England in the five-match T20I series.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar