Fans were left in awe as Rohit Sharma rolled back years with his energetic fielding during the second ODI between India and New Zealand on Wednesday in Rajkot. The incident took place on the final ball of the 24th over during New Zealand's chase of 285.
Against a Ravindra Jadeja delivery that took a sharp turn, Will Young played a late cut that went right of backward point. Rohit, who was stationed at that position, dived full stretch to stop a certain boundary, much to the appreciation from the whole crowd as well as Virat Kohli.
A few balls earlier, the 37-year-old Kohli too put up a similar kind of fielding at covers. Notably, both Kohli and Rohit have already retired from Tests and T20Is and are only available for India in ODIs.
Playing only a single format for India, gives both the former Indian captains time to rejuvenate unlike two years before where they were almost on the road. From bilateral series to multi-nation tournaments to the Indian Premier League, workload management had been an issue for all the country's top cricketers.
Rohit's athleticism drew large praise on social media.
Rohit, who was succeeded by Shubman Gill in both ODI and Test formats last year as captain, has spent a lot of time for himself which he couldn't while playing all three formats for India. Following the IPL in 2025, Rohit underwent a huge transformation, shedding around 10 kgs.
The outcome was there for everyone to see as the former Indian captain smashed three fifties and two hundreds (including one in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai). With the 2027 ODI World Cup in horizon, the form of Rohit at the top will be crucial for India.
Rohit Sharma drops in ICC ODI Rankings
Meanwhile, Rohit has dropped two places to be at third in the updated ICC ODI rankings for batters, announced on Wednesday. The Indian opener was dethroned at the top by compatriot Kohli, who rose to the top for the first time since 2021, following his 93 off 91 balls against New Zealand in the first ODI in Vadodara.
