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Amid the massive buzz over Rohit Sharma's retirement from international cricket, England National Cricket Team captain Harry Brook has reacted to the growing speculation ahead of the third and final ODI at Lord's on Sunday (July 19).
There have been reports that Rohit could call time on his celebrated India career after the final ODI against England at Lord’s. The rumours have dominated headlines for the last couple of days, but there has been no official confirmation from Rohit or the BCCI. Earlier, Morne Morkel dismisses Rohit Sharma's retirement rumours ahead of Lord's ODI.
Harry Brook breaks silence on Rohit Sharma retirement rumours before Lord's ODI
When asked whether the retirement talk around Rohit Sharma would change England's approach in the ODI series decider, Harry Brook made it clear that he was not aware of such reports. However, the England captain praised both Rohit and Virat Kohli for their outstanding contribution to the game.
The star batter said both Indian batting icons have been among the greatest players of their generation and have entertained fans for many years. He also expressed happiness that both Kohli and Rohit are still playing international cricket.
Harry Brook said at the pre-match press conference: “I don't know what's been said about Rohit Sharma. They've obviously been phenomenal players for many years, and it's great to see them still playing the game.”
🔴 I DON'T KNOW - HARRY BROOK REACT ON ROHIT SHARMA RETIREMENT RUMOURS 🤯
— Sam (@cricsam02) July 18, 2026
Q🎙️: There's a lot of focus around Rohit Sharma, with retirement rumours suggesting this could be his last tour here. Does that change anything for England?
Brook🎙️: "I don't know what's been said about… pic.twitter.com/tijl8dY8Ue
Selectors had already decided to move on from Rohit Sharma?
Recently, a Times of India report claimed that the national selectors had already decided to move on from Rohit Sharma after the recent three-match ODI series against Afghanistan at home.
The report also claimed that the team management wanted Rohit to rest for the third ODI so that Yashasvi Jaiswal could get a chance.
However, Rohit reportedly did not agree to sit out; as a result, Indian captain Shubman Gill had to bat at No. 3, as Virat Kohli was not available for the home series. Amid this, Lalchand Rajput backs Rohit Sharma to continue despite retirement speculation.
Harry Brook wants every England batter to learn from Joe Root
Meanwhile, the England captain has asked his teammates to learn from Joe Root ahead of the third ODI against India at Lord's. Brook praised Root's ability to stay calm, rotate the strike, and build innings with ease.
Harry Brook told reporters, “I personally think you're always learning. He (Root) has played nearly 200 ODIs; he's still trying to learn, he's still trying to get better as a player, and he's England's greatest-ever batter. Root has been such a good player for so many years, and it's awesome to have him on the side.”
Harry Brook admits England depend too much on Joe Root
Brook admitted that England has relied heavily on Root in recent matches, so he now wants the entire batting unit to follow his approach to become a stronger ODI side as they aim to win the final ODI to record a complete whitewash on the Men in Blue in the white-ball series.
He said, “We probably have depended on him quite a little bit in recent times in ODI cricket and Test cricket. Hopefully, the boys can learn from what he's doing, myself included, and realise how easy he's making batting look to be able to just rotate the strike. If we can add a little bit of Joe Root into our batting as a collective team, then we'll definitely be in some strong positions.”
