Three days after India’s selectors told him he had no place in their 2027 World Cup plans, Rohit Sharma answered in the only language that silences a committee: runs. He walked out at Lord’s and made 138, an innings that carved history into a match India still lost. The knock didn’t reverse any decision, and it didn’t need to. It was a rebuttal delivered at a ground where no Indian batter had ever done this before, and it spoke louder than any statement the selectors could issue.
Rohit Sharma Lord’s Century ODI 2026
England put up 387 for 3, the highest ODI total ever recorded at Lord’s, built on Ben Duckett’s 141 and a 192-run stand with Jacob Bethell that flattened the chase before it began. Gill and Rohit responded with 147 for the first wicket before Gill fell to Adil Rashid for 77.
Rohit kept going, reaching three figures in 84 balls with clean, unhurried timing that made the fielders around him look like spectators for long stretches. Bethell eventually bowled him for 138 off 110 deliveries, an innings built from 17 fours and 5 sixes. India were bowled out for 360, twenty-seven runs short, and England closed out the series 2-1, their first ODI series win over India since 2018.
The Records That Fell in an Afternoon
Four separate records fell inside that one innings. Sourav Ganguly’s 90 at Lord’s in 2004 had stood as the best any Indian had managed at this ground; Rohit’s 138 pushed it into second and made him the first Indian to score an ODI hundred here.
His tally of ODI hundreds in England now sits at eight, one clear of a group tied at seven that included Sachin Tendulkar, the outright record for any batter in one away country. He also broke his own highest score by an Indian in England, set at Nottingham in 2018 on 137 not out.
Record | Previous Holder | New Mark | Record Details |
|---|---|---|---|
First Indian ODI century at Lord’s | Sourav Ganguly: 90 runs (2004) | 138 runs | First-ever Indian batsman to score an ODI hundred at Lord’s |
Most ODI hundreds in a single away country | Tied at 7 (Sachin Tendulkar and others) | 8 centuries | Outright world record for most ODI tons in England |
Highest individual ODI score by an Indian in England | Rohit Sharma: 137 not out (2018) | 138 runs | Broke his own previous record set at Nottingham |
Most centuries in successful ODI run chases | Sachin Tendulkar: 17 centuries | 18 centuries | Surpassed Tendulkar for 2nd spot all-time, behind Virat Kohli |
The Call Made Before the Series Decider
The Indian Express reported on July 15 that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir, had already told Rohit he wouldn’t feature in ODIs once the England series ended. The plan centres on Yashasvi Jaiswal, with the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia the target.
Sources close to the squad said Rohit was not happy with the conversation, having spent months on his fitness to stay in contention. Nothing about the decision was reversed by what followed at Lord’s. It simply became harder to explain.
Four Days That Rewrote the Narrative
Before Lord’s, Rohit had managed just 15 and 0 in the series’ first two matches, scores that read like supporting evidence for a committee already leaning toward moving on. The Indian Express story landed on July 15, four days before the decider.
By July 19, on a ground where no Indian batter had turned into a century, at 39 years and 80 days old, he delivered the exact timing that seemed to be daring him not to play. No press conference could argue the case better than that scoreboard reading 138.
The Selection Saga Still Has No Ending
Selectors have left the next call in Rohit’s hands rather than closing the door themselves. Nothing about the committee’s stance has technically changed, built on a wider read of his 2026 form, not two low scores before one big innings.
What has shifted is the conversation around that decision. Any formal announcement about his ODI future will now be measured against Rohit Sharma’s Lord’s century in ODI 2026, a scoreline fans and journalists covering this story will remember before the committee’s reasoning.
Should an innings like this change a selector’s mind, or does form across a whole year matter more than one afternoon? Say where you land in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Did Rohit Sharma score a century at Lord’s?
Yes, he scored 138 off 110 balls on July 19, 2026. It marked the first-ever ODI century by an Indian batter at this ground, moving past Sourav Ganguly’s 90 from 2004.
Is Rohit Sharma still part of India’s plans for the next World Cup?
Reports say he has been told he isn’t part of the selectors’ ODI plans. The Indian Express named the Agarkar-led committee and Gambhir as the source; no board statement has confirmed it.
What records did Rohit Sharma break with his innings at Lord’s?
He became the first Indian to score an ODI hundred at Lord’s and reached 8 centuries in England. He also reached 18 centuries in successful ODI chases, one ahead of Sachin Tendulkar.
Did India win the third ODI at Lord’s?
No, England won by 27 runs to take the series 2-1. India were bowled out for 360 while chasing England’s 387, a total built on Ben Duckett’s 141.
How old is Rohit Sharma?
He was born on April 30, 1987, making him 39 at the time of this innings. He was exactly 39 years and 80 days old when he scored 138 at Lord’s.