Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma Gautam Gambhir. Image Credits: Screengrab
Players from both India and England wore black armbands in memory of Sir Garfield Sobers, who passed away on Friday.
Both teams also observed a minute’s silence before the start of play at Lord’s on Sunday. England won the toss and elected to bat first in the series decider.
It is important to note that West Indies legend passed away at his Barbados home at the age of 89 on Friday, July 17.
Notably, Sobers represented West Indies between 1954 and 1974, redefining the role of an all-rounder during his remarkable 93-Test career. Equally brilliant with both bat and ball, he was also regarded as one of the finest fielders of his generation.
Virat Kohli And Gautam Gambhir Were Seen Emotional During Tribute
As the players paid tribute to the late Sir Garfield Sobers, Indian batting icon Virat Kohli and head coach Gautam Gambhir were seen visibly emotional during the heartfelt ceremony at Lord’s.
Meanwhile, the cameras also turned towards Rohit Sharma, who has been making headlines following rumours regarding his retirement from ODI, the only format he currently plays.
Rohit Sharma Watches On Lords’ Tribute During IND vs ENG 3rd ODI
Notably, the speculation gained momentum after the second ODI in Cardiff. During the tribute ceremony at Lord’s, Rohit Sharma was seen watching on as both teams honoured the legendary West Indies cricketer.
Watch the video here:
BCCI Clarifies Rohit Sharma’s Retirement Rumours
It is also important to note that the retirement rumours, which intensified following reports suggesting the Indian team management wanted to move on from the veteran opener after the England series, were firmly dismissed on Friday by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
Notably, The BCCI official clarified that Rohit Sharma was not retiring after the Lord’s ODI and continues to remain an integral part of India’s ODI setup.
However, while Saikia ruled out an immediate retirement, he stopped short of confirming whether Rohit Sharma remains part of India’s long-term plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, leaving room for further speculation regarding his future.
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Notably, the former India captain has endured a lean run in the 50-over format. Across his last eight ODIs, the 39-year-old has scored 241 runs at an average of 30.1 and a strike rate of 88.6, registering just one half-century.
In the second ODI, Rohit managed 26 runs off 47 deliveries before being dismissed by Will Jacks, extending his disappointing run during the ongoing England series.
India Made Three Changes To Their Playing XI For Lord’s ODI
Meanwhile, as India paid tribute to the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers before the start of play, the visitors also made significant changes to their playing XI for the series decider.
India made three changes to the side that lost in Cardiff, with Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav coming into the team in place of Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah as the visitors looked to bounce back in the crucial encounter at Lord’s.
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