Rohit Century Goal
Sunil Gavaskar hopes Rohit Sharma will retire with more centuries than his age.
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Key Points
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Sharma made 92 off 85 balls in the final ODI, hitting 10 fours and three sixes. He came in after Shubman Gill was out for 1 and Virat Kohli for 0.
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Gavaskar explained his wish by recalling that, in his final year of international cricket, he aimed to score as many Test centuries as his age. He said he was dismissed in the 90s three times and retired at 38.
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Gavaskar observed that Sharma’s batting approach has changed since the 2023 ODI World Cup, with greater emphasis on preserving his wicket and converting starts.
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Sharma entered the final ODI after scoring a century in the second match; one report also notes he had made two centuries and two fifties across his previous four ODIs.
Sunil Gavaskar expressed disappointment after Rohit Sharma fell just short of a milestone in India's final ODI against the West Indies. Sharma scored 92 off 85 balls—missing out on his 36th ODI century—in a match India lost by six wickets. Tribune India reported that Gavaskar hoped Sharma would retire with more ODI hundreds than his age, a personal goal Gavaskar himself pursued during his final year of international cricket.
India won the three-match series 2-1 despite the loss in the final game, where West Indies successfully chased India's total of 352. Sharma, who had scored a century in the second ODI, came to bat after Shubman Gill made just 1 run and Virat Kohli was out for a duck.
Gavaskar's Challenge: More Centuries Than Years
Gavaskar explained his ambition by reflecting on his own career. Daily Hunt reported that during his final year playing international cricket, Gavaskar aimed to score as many Test centuries as his age. He was dismissed in the 90s three times and retired at age 38, falling short of his goal.
Sharma currently has 35 ODI centuries at age 37. To match Gavaskar's vision, he would need at least 41 centuries if he plays until the 2027 World Cup and turns 40. That means scoring six more hundreds in roughly two years—a demanding target for any batter.
Sharma's Changed Approach Since 2023 World Cup
Gavaskar noted that Sharma's batting style has shifted since the 2023 ODI World Cup. Khel Ja reported that Sharma now focuses more on preserving his wicket and converting starts into centuries rather than playing aggressive cricket early in innings.
This shift showed results recently. According to Daily Hunt, Sharma made two centuries and two fifties across his previous four ODIs before the West Indies series. The century in the second match demonstrated his ability to reach three-figure scores consistently.
A Near-Miss in a Successful Series
Sharma's 92-run innings came off 85 balls with 10 fours and three sixes. He walked in after India's top two batters struggled—Gill departed for 1 and Kohli for a golden duck. Despite Sharma's strong knock, West Indies' bowling attack held firm in the final stages.
Asian Net News reported that Gavaskar's disappointment centered on the missed opportunity. Had Sharma scored just eight more runs, he would have reached his 36th century. This would have put him closer to Gavaskar's broader goal of finishing his ODI career with more hundreds than his age.
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