"Who's this emerging young talent?": Fans go down memory lane as 'baby-faced' Rohit Sharma flaunts clean-shaven look

The visual transformation triggered an outpouring of affection across social media platforms, with fans drawing parallels to Rohit's debut era in 2007 and his initial years as a middle-order prospect.

Former Indian captain Rohit Sharma sent cricket fans on a major nostalgia trip on Friday after a fresh, clean-shaven photograph of the veteran batter surfaced on social media, prompting followers to compare his latest look to his early days on the international circuit. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri shared a photo alongside the star opening batter on Instagram following a chance encounter in London. Captioned "Great bumping into a relaxed Shaaaarma on a stroll in London," the image showed the 39-year-old 'Hitman' sporting a neatly trimmed beard, a sharp departure from his usual heavy-facial-hair style of recent years.

The visual transformation triggered an outpouring of affection across social media platforms, with fans drawing parallels to Rohit's debut era in 2007 and his initial years as a middle-order prospect. A fan commented on Shastri's pic, "He looks like junior Rohit Sharma !! Maintaining Body like this really good."

Another fan wrote, "Who's this Emerging young talent?". A fan also wrote, "Reminds me of a guy I saw in 2013."

Another fan wrote, "Are we back in 2007." Another fan wrote, "Arre ye toh 2012 ke Sharmajiii lag rahe hai".

The relaxed London outing follows a high-stakes ODI series against England in the UK. After a quiet start in the opening two matches, the 'Hitman' silenced critics questioning his future leading up to the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup by smashing a brilliant century in the series decider at Lord's. During a colossal 388-run chase at the 'Home of Cricket', Rohit produced a masterclass, scoring 138 off 110 balls laced with 17 boundaries and 5 sixes. Despite India narrowly falling short by 27 runs and losing the series 2-1, Rohit's vintage knock and a sharp 74-run contribution from long-time batting partner Virat Kohli thrilled the capacity crowd.

With 11,895 runs in 288 ODIs at an average of 48.95 and 34 centuries to his name, Rohit remains India's third-highest run-scorer in the 50-over format, trailing only Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Virat Kohli (14,941). In nine ODIs this calendar year, Rohit has accumulated 379 runs at an average of 42.11. Both Rohit and Kohli are set to return to action for the upcoming home ODI series against the West Indies, scheduled to run from September 27 to October 3. (ANI)