Veteran India batter Rohit Sharma says he has learned to live with the constant speculation surrounding his future in international cricket and believes the "noise" will continue as long as he remains an active player.
Rohit, who has faced renewed questions about his place and future in the Indian team, said he was aware of the discussions but had no intention of allowing them to distract him from his primary objective — scoring runs and contributing to the team's success.
"The noise, since I made my debut, was there. Till I am going to stay here, it is always going to be there, so it doesn't really matter too much," Rohit said.
The 39-year-old made the comments after producing a remarkable 138 at Lord's on Sunday. His fluent century was not enough to prevent India from suffering a 27-run defeat, but the innings underlined his ability to deliver at the highest level even as questions about his future continue to dominate the conversation around him.
Rohit became the oldest Indian to score a century and also became the first Indian to register a hundred in 50-over cricket at the iconic venue. The achievement added another significant milestone to a career already filled with landmark performances.
Despite the personal success, the defeat appeared to weigh heavily on the Indian captain. Rohit looked visibly disappointed after the match, with the loss seemingly overshadowing his impressive individual effort. His innings had given India hope during the chase, but the team ultimately fell short of the target by 27 runs.
The veteran opener, however, appeared determined not to get drawn into discussions about his age or long-term future. Instead, he emphasised the importance of focusing on the game and performing whenever he gets the opportunity.
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Rohit's remarks reflect his long experience of dealing with intense scrutiny. Since making his international debut, he has faced repeated questions over his form, selection and role within the Indian team. Yet, on several occasions, he has responded with performances that have silenced his critics, only for the debate to return at a later stage.
The latest century at Lord's once again highlighted his ability to answer questions with the bat. His timing and strokeplay remained largely intact as he controlled the innings for long periods and appeared comfortable against the opposition attack.
Rohit acknowledged that speculation about his career was unlikely to disappear. However, he made it clear that he was not interested in engaging in an ongoing battle with outside opinion.
"Till I am playing, there will always be noise," was the essence of his message as he sought to shift the focus back to his performances. For now, Rohit appears keen to remain focused on the immediate challenges ahead rather than look too far into the future. The veteran batter's latest century has once again ensured that the conversation surrounding his career is being shaped by his performances on the field.
While questions about how long he intends to continue will remain, Rohit has made his position clear: as long as he is playing, he would rather let his bat do the talking.
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