Form can’t trump class, one school argues, convinced that for extraordinary performers with an impressive volume of work, a few sustained failures are no more than a minor blip.

And then there are others who contend that no matter how glorious an individual’s past might be, it should not be a free pass for not delivering in the here and now.

Rohit Sharma is smack bang in the middle of this raging debate triggered by speculation in sections of the media that he will be nudged into international retirement after Sunday’s decisive ODI against England at Lord’s. So strident had been the cry that even the normally reticent Board of Control for Cricket in India was compelled to react. Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, sought to douse the fire on Friday by categorically proclaiming that Sunday would not be Rohit’s international swansong. Let’s wait and watch, eh?

It’s no secret that Rohit hasn’t had the most productive time in India colours since the start of 2026. It can’t be easy being a one-format international, especially when the said format is the least preferred option for teams determined to showcase their commitment to Test cricket while using the T20 version as the ultimate cash cow. Rohit has been only an ODI exponent since May last year, when he bid adieu to Test cricket, and even though he plays the IPL, the rust that accumulates from sporadic 50-over faceoffs is hardly an imagined proposition.

Rohit has figured in all eight of India’s 50-over matches this year, three each at home against New Zealand in January and against Afghanistan last month, and now two against Harry Brook’s England, who have used their tall fast bowlers to good effect by relying heavily on the short ball. Those eight innings have yielded just a solitary half-century, and while Rohit has not looked out of sorts, the big scores that have enabled him to amass 11,757 runs in 287 ODIs have been conspicuously absent.

Critics – perhaps head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar among them – don’t take kindly to a tally of 241 runs from eight consecutive hits when someone is 39 and allegedly blocking the path of a 24-year-old who has scored hundreds in two of his last three ODIs but doesn’t find a place in the team currently doing battle in England. Yashasvi Jaiswal has become a convenient if unwitting pawn in the entire game; his T20 numbers are terrific but not a word about his prolonged absence from that variant internationally. But that’s another matter altogether.

The big question is whether Rohit is a sure shot guarantee for the next 50-over World Cup, which is some 15 months away. On current form, and given the resources India are in a position to summon, the answer tilts towards no. That’s no reflection on his standing as one of the greatest white-ball batters ever, but Father Time doesn’t stand still for anyone, so why should he make an exception for the Mumbaikar?

Rohit’s commitment to fitness was evident in his remarkable work ethics that led to him shedding more than 10 kilos last year after his Test retirement. He hasn’t always been the fittest-looking, so credit to him for plunging himself whole-heartedly into this endeavour at this stage of his career. But whether he will be able to maintain those exacting standards of fitness while continuing to stack up runs – not the 30s and 40s but the bigger edifices that were such an USP – is another matter altogether.

It’s presumptuous for us to call time on someone’s career, especially someone who has contributed so much to Indian cricket. Retirement is a very personal decision, but whether it is time to move on and invest in younger options with a long-term vision in mind is a call for the decision-makers to take. On current evidence, it appears as if that’s exactly the tack they are determined to embrace, though the manner in which they seem to be going about it leaves a lot to be desired. The prevalent uncertainty doesn’t help anyone, least of all Rohit himself, who must be conspicuous of the sword hanging over his head every time he goes out to bat. The World Cup is some distance away and Jaiswal (or any other chosen one) needs time to grow into his role. As for Rohit, his World Cup days are almost certainly behind him. It’s a stark reality that one must come to terms with, even if he silences wagging tongues with another of his specials at the so-called Mecca of cricket on Sunday.