London: After allowing his bat to respond to rumours that the Lord’s ODI against England would be his last, Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma finally broke his silence on the issue.
“No noise means no fun,” was the star batter’s cheeky response.
It was a heartbreak for Indian fans at Lord’s as yet another middle-order collapse led to a 27-run defeat. However, the men in blue were chasing a mammoth 388-run target and the margin of defeat would have been much higher had Rohit not hit his 34th ODI century, becoming the first Indian to score one in that format of the game at Lord’s.
Rumours about the 39-year-old opener’s retirement had started doing the rounds after his poor showing in the first two ODIs. They first appeared in the media and then became a matter of discussion at the commentary box as well.
However, his 138-run knock at a strike rate of 125.45 shattered all of it. He smashed five sixes and 17 boundaries in the innings.
The star batter and former Team India captain finally broke his silence after the match.
“My job is with my bat. Come and represent the country- that’s what I have been told to do since I made my debut. That’s what I am doing,” Rohit told BCCI.tv.
“The noise since I made my debut was there, and till I am going to stay here, it is always going to be there. It does not really matter too much. What matters is what I do on the field and try and contribute to the success of the team,” he continued, as reported by News18.
Then came the line that summed up Rohit’s approach to criticism.
“When there is no noise, there is no fun. My job is inside, their job is outside. That’s how I look at it.”
While rumours may continue, Rohit has reminded critics that till his bat does the talking, conversation about his retirement will have to wait beyond the sidelines.
