Rohit Sharma and AB de Villiers - (Source: X.com)
The England series is over, and so is the debate around Rohit Sharma’s form. The Hitman silenced his critics in style at Lord’s, where he slammed the first-ever hundred by an Indian at the mecca of cricket. Rohit was under a lot of scrutiny and faced pressure to perform to be in the scheme of things for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Following the 138-run knock, the cricketing pundits too took a U-turn on their earlier stance and backed the 39-year-old for the 2027 ODI World Cup. In the latest events, AB de Villiers has also jumped onto the bandwagon.
AB De Villiers Labels Rohit Sharma Inconsistent, but a big-match player
The Proteas legend heaped praise on Rohit Sharma but also labelled him as inconsistent. De Villiers backed the Hitman, stating that he is a big-match player and always steps up when India needs him the most.
"Rohit has never been the most consistent player for a long period of time, a little bit up and down, but when the big moments present themselves, he needs to be on your side. I would just manage him really well and make sure he stays match-fit more than anything else and get him ready for that World Cup," he said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Is AB De Villiers Right About Rohit Sharma?
If we look at Rohit Sharma’s stats over the years, then it is true that the Hitman has been inconsistent. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, the 39-year-old has played 7 bilateral ODI series and a Champions Trophy.
Rohit had a brilliant Sri Lanka series where he slammed two consecutive fifties. However, next up was England at home, where the right-handed batter slammed a century in the 2nd ODI, but registered two single-digit scores in the 1st and 3rd ODIs.
| Runs | Match | Strike-Rate |
| 11 (21) | 1st ODI | 52.38 |
| 26 (47) | 2nd ODI | 55.3 |
| 138 (110) | 3rd ODI | 125.4 |
(Rohit Sharma's performance vs England in the 2026 ODI series)
Even in the Champions Trophy 2025, Rohit Sharma struggled for a fifty in the entire tournament, but proved AB de Villiers right by playing a 76-run knock in the final against New Zealand. The Hitman again returned to form against Australia, slamming a fifty and a century in the 2nd and 3rd ODIs.
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Rohit’s inconsistency was again a topic of discussion against New Zealand at home, where the former India captain scored just 61 runs in 3 innings, averaging 20.33. Even in the recently concluded England series, the 39-year-old scored 37 runs in the first two matches and slammed 138 at Lord’s.
Hence, AB de Villiers is right that Rohit Sharma is inconsistent, but he is also right about him being a big-match player. Rohit has 7 centuries in ODI World Cups, the most by any player.
Interestingly, Rohit Sharma’s average in bilateral series is 49.43, but it rises to 52.31 in five-plus team tournaments, which clearly tells us that the 39-year-old loves big occasions.
| Criteria | Average |
| Bilaterals | 49.43 |
| 3-4 Team Tournament | 36.72 |
| 5+ Team Tournamen | 52.31 |
AB De Villiers backs Rohit, Virat both to go to ODI World Cup 2027
De Villiers added that India need experience in South Africa and that Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma is the dream pair to be in a team for the marquee fifty-over event.
"The two of them have won ICC trophies, being there in that World Cup final against Australia—there are a lot of reasons to be confident. You need that experience in big tournaments. You just can't buy that at a supermarket; what Virat and Rohit bring to the party. In pressure moments, it changes everything. There's a whole different pressure playing in World Cups and big tournaments,” he added.
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