3 Players Who Can Replace Rohit Sharma Once He Retires From ODI Cricket

Rohit Sharma is on the wrong side of the 30s, and except for the ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship, he has won everything that there is to win in cricket. Moreover, for more than a decade now, he has been one of the best ODI openers in history, not just for India. 

However, if his fitness concerns are taken into consideration and the fact that selectors will see both his form and fitness before selecting him again in the ODI side, it might not be out of the question that he retires from the format soon if he’s not selected in the ODI series in Australia in October. 

In case that happens, let’s see three ready openers who can replace Rohit Sharma at the top of the order in the ODI side. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal 

Jaiswal has been there with the ODI side as a backup for some time now, and considering that the other opener is the right-handed Shubman Gill, he would be a great option to open the innings. He averages 52 and above in List A cricket, so run scoring isn’t a problem as far as Jaiswal is concerned. 

Moreover, he has both his long form and short form sorted, which would certainly help him ace the 50-over format that would require displaying both in ample quantity. 

Sanju Samson 

Samson has been in and around the Indian side for a few years now, and he has proved himself in white ball cricket at various positions in the batting order. However, as we have seen in T20 cricket, Samson is a destructive opener and can give India the kind of impetus Rohit gives at the top. Moreover, he also gives India a wicketkeeping option. 

He averages 56.6 in the middle order in ODIs for India, and nothing says that he can’t show that same form at the top of the order because that’s where he bats most of the times in domestic cricket as well. He would be a good guarantee at the top of the order for at least the next ODI World Cup and beyond. 

Sai Sudharsan 

Sudharsan’s rise in Indian cricket is a testament to his adaptability as a batter and the dynamism in his stroke play. While he’s shaping into a solid red ball batter, his T20 batting has gone up a notch, as we saw in the IPL, where he was the top run getter with a strike rate of 150 plus. 

Moreover, he averages 60 in List A cricket with a strike rate of nearly 100. He is exactly that kind of batter who is made for the 50-over format. There’s no doubt that if given a chance, he would make that opening spot his own in no time.