India vs England 3rd ODI 2026 lineups as rumours swirl around Rohit Sharma’s reported farewell match at Lord’s originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- The series-deciding third ODI is set to take place at Lord’s with India & England level at 1-1.
- KL Rahul, Washington Sundar are fitness doubts for India.
- Rohit Sharma’s poor form fuels farewell speculation despite BCCI denial.
India vs England: Predicted XIs for Lord’s series decider as Rohit Sharma retirement talk refuses to fade
The India-England ODI rivalry reaches its climax on Sunday, July 19, as both sides head to the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground with the series poised at one apiece.
This sets up a straight shootout for bragging rights at the Home of Cricket in London.
Both teams have shown flashes of brilliance across the first two matches, underlining just how closely matched these two sides are at the moment.
India were clinical in the series opener, producing a well-rounded performance to take control early, while England hit back impressively in Cardiff, forcing the contest into a decisive third match.
The question of whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remain part of India’s long-term World Cup planning has refused to go away, growing louder with each passing week as social media continues buzzing with reports suggesting one or both veterans could gradually be phased out before the tournament arrives. Despite the noise, both senior batters are expected to take the field in this series-deciding match.
The bigger selection headache for India instead concerns KL Rahul and Washington Sundar. Rahul missed the Cardiff match due to illness, while Sundar was forced to retire hurt and couldn’t complete his bowling duties during England’s run chase.
Should Rahul recover in time, he slots straight back into the eleven, while Kuldeep Yadav appears the likely replacement for Sundar.
MORE: Rohit’s possible exit from ODI team has put the pressure on Virat: Ashwin
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India’s probable XI and starting lineup for the 3rd ODI
Below is a predicted lineup for India as they chase the series in London.
India (probable XI)
- Rohit Sharma
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- Ishan Kishan/KL Rahul (wk)
- Axar Patel
- Shivam Dube
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Gurnoor Brar
- Prasidh Krishna
MORE: Rohit Sharma faces fierce fan backlash, asked to make way for Yashasvi Jaiswal
England’s probable XI and starting lineup for the 3rd ODI
Harry Brook leads a side rescued only by Joe Root and Liam Dawson, with the top order badly exposed against India’s disciplined seam and spin.
England (probable XI)
- Ben Duckett
- Jos Buttler (wk)
- Harry Brook (c)
- Joe Root
- Jacob Bethell
- Will Jacks
- Sam Curran
- Liam Dawson
- Gus Atkinson
- Adil Rashid
- Jofra Archer
MORE: ‘It made the difference!’ – Kaif reveals how Virat & Rohit Sharma reshaped India’s team dynamics
Rohit Sharma remains the one talking point ahead of series decider
With so much speculation swirling, there’s a real risk that Sunday’s contest gets reduced to a referendum on Rohit’s career rather than being watched as a genuine series decider.
Rohit’s numbers in this series have genuinely been below par, and that scrutiny is fair, but constant retirement chatter around one player risks overshadowing eleven others working hard to win a tightly fought series.
MORE: Is Rohit being forced to retire by selectors and coach? The lowdown on the latest report
If the selectors have already made their call privately, dragging it out publicly through leaks only adds unnecessary pressure. However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has already moved to shut down claims that this Lord’s fixture would mark Rohit’s final ODI appearance.
Whatever Rohit’s future holds, Lord’s deserves to be remembered for the cricket played, not just for what one veteran’s scorecard might or might not confirm about his career.
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