Lad has put his full support behind the ex-captain, saying there is no need for him to show anyone he is fit or in touch with the bat. He has to be at the heart of our plans for 2027, even if you look at the last few ODIs against New Zealand where he put up 61 in three games.
To put it in a nutshell, here is where Lad stands:
– No need for Rohit to prove himself
– We can’t do without his experience in 2027
– He is in fine fettle at 39
– Training is non-stop for the big tournament
– You can bet on him being in the 2027 side
It’s a no-brainer for Lad: you have to have some old heads at the top if you are to make a run of it in 50-over cricket. His point is that this is what Rohit does best in an ODI – an opener who can get in, have a look around and then pick up the pace when he wants to.
You only have to watch him in the IPL to see his rhythm is still there. The 39-year-old doesn’t just go for the big ones; he knows how to work the strike and build an innings. That sort of flexibility is what we’ll be looking for when it counts.
Answering the form and fitness debate
There has been some talk after his quiet series in New Zealand, but Lad waves that off as the usual noise. Age or not, he is in good shape and his hunger for an ODI title is as strong as ever.
He has made the call to put the Tests and T20s to one side to concentrate on the 50-over game, and he is at the training ground every day for it. As far as Lad is concerned, he is on top of his conditioning and his wits with the World Cup on the horizon.
Six-month window or level field?
Saba Karim was of the opinion a while back that the coming half-year would be make-or-break for Rohit. Lad has a different take on that, and says any player in the camp has to be making the most of those months.
For all the ifs and buts, Lad is confident. He gives you a 100 per cent word that Rohit will be out there in 2027.
“Put him in the position to do what he does best and you’ll see Rohit put in some good work in the months ahead,” he said.
What is it that motivates him?
Lad put it down to a matter of purpose when it comes to Rohit’s ODI-only agenda. There is only one reason for it: to put an ODI World Cup in India’s cabinet. Lad is of the opinion that Rohit won’t be done until he has, and that desire is what gets him in the right headspace for his training.
The numbers don’t lie
You have to look at the kind of ODI moments in his past to understand where this confidence comes from. He is the only Indian to have notched up three double tons in the format, and then there are the five hundreds he made in 2019. “His record is as good as it gets, and he doesn’t flinch under pressure,” was how Lad put it.
Then there is the technique. Lad will tell you that is the key. Rohit has a way of seeing out an over, sizing up the pitch and then making his move. That is still with him; once he is in at the crease, he is a force.
When it comes to what he should be doing, Lad’s prescription is no-nonsense: go out and play some 50-over cricket at home, see out your innings and have faith in what has worked. “Just enjoy it and let the scores take care of themselves. Don’t let the naysayers write the story for you.”
What it means for the side
There is more to Lad’s show of support than just one man. It is a quiet rebuke to the kind of thinking that looks for quick fixes in selection instead of defining a role and being ready for the big stage. In a game of phases, you can’t ignore that.
Rohit has a habit of dictating the terms in World Cups, not just putting up runs. If we want that kind of surety from the top in 2027, you would do well to back his experience rather than second-guess it.
It is about having a steady hand. With Rohit honing in on ODIs, you get someone who can hold the fort and let the rest of the team do their thing. In a knockout, those things make the difference.
So, if he is working like Lad says he is, the road ahead is less of a test and more of a groove. For India, having a plan at the top of the order ripples through to the fielding and the way we set up.
Of course, people will still talk and the schedule is what it is. But I have made my stand: keep him in the mix, let him be, and we build a 2027 side around what he can do. The outcome will be what it will be.
