'I was disappointed' - Sunil Gavaskar on Rohit Sharma missing ODI century

Rohit Sharma fell eight runs short of a century in the third ODI against West Indies at New Chandigarh on October 3, 2026. The India captain scored 92 off 85 balls before being dismissed by Paul in the 25th over. India posted 351 for 7 in their innings, but West Indies chased down the target successfully, winning by five wickets.

Sunil Gavaskar expressed his disappointment at Rohit's dismissal on the JioStar broadcast Haier Cricket Live. The former India opener highlighted the significance of the missed opportunity, particularly given Rohit's career timeline and personal goals.

"The reason I was disappointed with Rohit getting out on 92 is because he didn't get a hundred and he might possibly quit international cricket after the end of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027. And at that particular point in time, when he decides to call it a day, I personally would like Rohit to have more ODI hundreds than his age. Had he gotten a century in the third ODI, he would have moved closer to achieving that feat with his 36th hundred. For me, it's a special thing when a player's hundreds outnumber his age at retirement," Gavaskar said on JioStar.

"It shows the kind of career they have had and the standard they have maintained for so many years. That is why I really want Rohit to reach that mark. In my last year of international cricket, I wanted to get as many Test centuries as my age, and I got out in the 90s thrice. If I'd got those hundreds, then my centuries would have matched the age of my retirement, which was 38," he added.

Rohit changed his batting template: Gavaskar

Gavaskar's comments underscored the importance he places on Rohit achieving a specific career milestone before potential retirement. The former India batsman drew parallels with his own playing career and the personal satisfaction of matching centuries to age at retirement.

Gavaskar observed a shift in Rohit's batting approach compared to his captaincy during the 2023 ODI World Cup. The legendary batter noted that Rohit's strategy has evolved as he recognises the value of his wicket in the middle order and the importance of converting starts into substantial scores.

"A slight change has appeared in the batting template that Rohit himself set as the captain for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he was going bang-bang from the first ball, irrespective of the possibility of getting out early. Now he recognises that his wicket is valuable. In that 2023 World Cup, he got the team off to great starts, but he's not a batsman who will score just 30-40 runs. He's a hundred-maker!" Gavaskar said.

"And therefore, I'm happy to see him score big runs. Yes, I know he missed out on a well-deserved ton in this match, but he got a hundred in the previous game. So, the fact that he's recognising that his job as a batter is also to get a hundred, and if he scores big, he gets a hundred in 70-80 deliveries-which is helpful for the team because that is a great scoring rate in a 50-over game and it also keeps him away from the social media critics of slow batting," he added.

Rohit had scored 101 in the second ODI against West Indies on September 30, 2026, demonstrating his form in the series. The 92 in the third match showed continued strong batting performance, though the century remained elusive on that occasion.