Rohit Sharma once again showed why experience matters in high-pressure situations during the third ODI between India and West Indies at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on October 3, 2026. The veteran batter scored a composed 92 off 85 balls, hitting 10 fours and three sixes. Rohit walked in with India under immediate pressure after Jayden Seales removed Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in quick succession.
With India reduced to 4 for 2 inside the third over, the experienced opener chose not to force the pace. Instead, he carefully assessed the conditions before launching a counterattack. Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik praised Rohit’s approach and explained how his experience allowed him to remain calm despite the early setbacks. According to Karthik, Rohit trusted his ability to recover later rather than taking unnecessary risks.
“The beauty of having experience is that they have seen this situation a lot before. If you take Rohit Sharma, when he saw the two early wickets fall, if you see he was on 20 for the first 40 balls with a 50 strike rate. That was because he knew he could trust himself and back it up and get those runs quickly,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
ALSO READ: Gautam Gambhir Praises Shreyas Iyer’s Selfless Leadership
Rohit’s innings followed exactly that pattern. He was 21 off 41 deliveries before dramatically changing gears. The India opener added 72 runs from his next 40 balls, taking his strike rate beyond 100 and putting West Indies under significant pressure.
His partnership with Ruturaj Gaikwad proved equally important, with the pair adding 137 runs for the third wicket. Rohit eventually departed for 92 in the 25th over after attempting a pull shot against Keemo Paul, but by then he had already laid the foundation for India’s innings.
Karthik also highlighted Rohit’s discipline against a dangerous West Indies bowling attack. With Seales producing a strong spell and Alzarri Joseph bowling with pace and accuracy, Rohit resisted the temptation to attack every delivery.
“He saw Jayden Seales was bowling a good spell; Alzarri (Joseph) was bowling nice and sharp. He took time, waited for them to bowl in his areas and if not, I am happy to defend. To have that courage and conviction in that moment is what experience is,” Dinesh Karthik explained.
ALSO READ: Amir Jangoo Added to West Indies Squad for T20I Series Against India
The former India batter added that younger players may have been tempted to force the issue after losing early wickets. However, Rohit’s experience allowed him to understand that there was enough time to recover the scoring rate later.
Rohit had scored a brilliant 101 off 75 balls in the second ODI at Guwahati, but he missed out on consecutive ODI centuries for the first time since 2019. Still, his 92 in Mullanpur underlined his ability to adapt, absorb pressure and accelerate when the situation demanded it.
