Rohit Sharma is here to stay, and he just signed the memo in Sydney

Soumyajit Dutta

Rohit Sharma after his century at Sydney [Source: AFP Photos]Rohit Sharma after his century at Sydney [Source: AFP Photos]

There is a certain kind of silence that speaks louder than any roar. We saw it in the 3rd ODI between Australia and India at the SCG. Rohit Sharma, having just caressed a ball through the off-side to bring up his 33rd ODI century, did not explode in a leap or a fist bump.

There was no loud celebration. Rohit Sharma simply walked down the crease with his head down in a sigh of relief. A bat raised at the audience with the slightest of smiles to acknowledge the ton that was almost crushing him for almost 8 months, screaming to serve to the master. Rohit's eyes were still, locked in as he strode off to Kohli for a hug.

Rohit Sharma 2.0 is just getting started

Rohit Sharma celebrating after the century [Source: @rajasthanroyals/X.com]Rohit Sharma celebrating after the century [Source: @rajasthanroyals/X.com]

To the 48,000-odd fans in the stadium, many holding "Don't Go Ro-Ko" posters, that message was a soothing balm. To the rumour mill that had been churning out whispers of an imminent retirement after this series, it was a cold, hard stop. This was indeed an assured acknowledgement of a lion who has grown old but has never, ever forgotten how to hunt.

"They can't decide when we should retire, when we should sit out, when we should captain," - Rohit Sharma, BGT 2024-25.

Rohit Sharma was another version then. The animated, more lively one, but within a span of almost a year, things changed fast. T20I and Test retirement. Almost back-to-back. Reason? Undisclosed to the world.

The whispers were understandable, weren't they? But was it that imminent in a setup where Rohit longed for his only unfulfilled wish, the World Cup? BCCI brought in the future with Gill at the ODI helm, a new regime looking to the future. But today, in a dead rubber that meant everything to pride and nothing to the series tally, Rohit Sharma reminded us that class is permanent. 

Rohit belts Australia or...?

Ro-Ko's 168-run partnership was less a chase and more a statement. It was a masterclass in controlled dominance, a gentle reminder from two legends that the throne is not vacant until they willingly choose to vacate it.

That cold celebration from Rohit? It wasn't a lack of passion. It was the opposite. It was the focus of a man who has shut out the noise. The "silent thrashing" to the 'management' you felt? Let's not go there, but let's just say it was the innings of a man playing for a cause larger than the victory, the cause of his own enduring legacy.

And make no mistake, that legacy is being rigorously rebuilt. The valiant 73 in Adelaide was a warning shot. The sublime 121* in Sydney is the main event. Look beyond the runs. Look at the man. He has shed 11 kilograms. He is leaner, meaner, and moving with a spring in his step we haven't seen in years. Though many says it, this possibly could not be the physical preparation of a man winding down. This is the foundation being laid for the long haul. 

Rohit must be up for World Cup 2027 and there's no ifs and buts

"I love doing what I do and hope to continue to do that," Rohit Sharma said after the match with a glint in his eye that dared you to doubt him. He spoke of passing on his knowledge, of the basics that have made him a beast in Australian conditions, averaging a staggering 90.80 at the SCG.

The hunger is more palpable now, yet the question remains. Would age catch him up before his will to fulfil his only wish in his cricket career?

Nope, let's just shake off all these negativity for now. Let's put the retirement comments to bed. The 'Hitman' is not done. He is reloaded, recalibrated, and hungry. He signed his name on the SCG honours board once again today, who has no intention of abdicating his throne. Rohit Sharma is here to stay, and the cricketing world is all the richer for it.