Top 3 Opening Options for India in ODIs After Rohit Sharma Retirement

As reports of Rohit Sharma retirement are surfacing across the internet, he will be playing his last international match at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, on July 19, 2026, against England. However, this news has not been officially confirmed by either the BCCI or the player himself, but if this happens, an opening slot will be empty in India's ODI side.

Indian Cricket Ecosystem is so vast that there would be plenty of options for a Rohit Sharma replacement who could become India's next ODI opener along with Shubman Gill. Let's find out the options for an opener after Rohit Sharma retirement.

Top 3 Options For India's Next ODI Opener

The team management would be looking forward to bringing in youth for Rohit Sharma replacement as an ODI opener, as it won't be an easy job to fill the shoes of the best opener in the world. Here are the possible options for India's next ODI opener, and the options will suit a right-left combination:

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal

The left-hand batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal, is a perfect replacement for Rohit Sharma in the 50-over format, as he has been playing as a back-up opener for India in ODIs and for a very long time he has been a permanent opener in Test cricket. Jaiswal holds all the skills to play an attacking game as well as to anchor the innings, where both of these are essential in the ODI format.

2. Abhishek Sharma

Another left-hander, Abhishek Sharma, could make his way to the team after Rohit Sharma's retirement. He is currently one of the best T20 batsmen in the world and can play similarly in the ODI format, utilising the 1st powerplay to the best. It would be Sharma replacing another Sharma, and in the past, both Shubman Gill and Abhishek have played a lot of cricket together in their young days, which makes for good batting chemistry between them. Abhishek also has an impressive List A cricket record, where he has scored a good amount of runs.

3. Devdutt Padikkal

The batter from Karnataka, Devdutt Padikkal, is another good choice to be India's next ODI opener after Rohit Sharma retirement, considering his exceptional record in domestic cricket and for India A. He has been a consistent run-scorer and will be a reliable opener if given consistent chances as an opener in the ODI format.