Lalchand Rajput, Rohit Sharma's early mentor, remains confident that the former India captain is "good enough to play for a couple of years" despite recent speculation about his future in One Day Internationals (ODIs). Rajput, who first observed Sharma as a young player at the National Cricket Academy, dismissed rumors suggesting that selectors and coaches had ruled out Sharma's participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup. The BCCI secretary, Devajit Saikia, later clarified that such reports were unfounded. Rajput emphasized that Sharma's current struggles, attributed to the natural "wear and tear" of a two-decade cricket career, do not diminish his value to the team. "I don't believe in speculation. Unless it happens, then only we can talk about that," Rajput told PTI. He highlighted Sharma's fitness improvements, noting that the player has become "leaner" and shown "glimpses of the Hitman" in recent matches. Rajput also pointed to Sharma's resilience, stating that the veteran opener is "one good innings away" from regaining his former form. The debate over Sharma's role in India's ODI plans intensified after reports claimed that chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir had advised Sharma that he was not part of the team's long-term vision for the 2027 World Cup. However, these claims were swiftly refuted by Saikia, who confirmed that Sharma remains a key figure in India's plans. Rajput, who served as the Indian team's manager during the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup, reiterated that the focus should remain on Sharma's current performance. "Nothing is confirmed. Let's focus on Rohit because he is batting well, has worked very hard on his fitness, and has come back strongly," he said. Rajput also addressed the question of whether India should already be looking beyond Sharma.#gautam_gambhir #rohit_sharma #ajit_agarkar #devajit_saikia #lalchand_rajput
