Rohit Sharma called time on his T20I career after leading India to T20 World Cup 2024 title.
Rohit Sharma became the third Indian captain to win an ICC trophy when India lifted the T20 World Cup 2024 title in June. This triumph also ended the Men in Blue’s long-standing ICC trophy drought.
During the presentation ceremony, star batter Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20Is. And then Rohit joined Kohli in retiring from the shortest format as well, revealing his decision in the post-match press conference.
While the Indian team continues to rely on the experience and expertise of Rohit in ODIs and Tests, it is important to recognize that his career is approaching the final stages.
However, his childhood coach Dinesh Lad reckons the 37-year-old would play the next ODI World Cup, slated to be held in South Africa in 2027.
In an interaction with Dainik Jagran, Lad said Rohit might call time on his Test career after the WTC final next year. However, the Mumbai batter won’t leave playing the 50-over format until the 2027 World Cup.
“No, look I am not saying that Rohit Sharma will announce his retirement after the World Test Championship, maybe he will. Because as his age is increasing, it seems that he may retire from Tests,” Dinesh Lad was quoted as saying.
“The reason for this may also be that he wants to keep himself fit for ODI cricket. However, I promise 100 percent that Rohit Sharma will play in the 2027 ODI World Cup. The type of cricket Rohit is playing is unbelievable,” he added.
Last month, Rohit Sharma opened up on his decision to retire from T20Is, stating that it was the best time for him to move on and that there are so many talented players who can do well for India.
“No no no. The only reason I retired from T20Is was because I’ve had my time. I enjoyed playing the format. I played for 17 years, and I did well. When you win the World Cup… this is the best time for you to move on. It was time to move on and look after other things. There are a lot of good players who can do well for India,” Rohit said during an interview on Fittr’s YouTube channel.
“So, that was not because I felt anything. I just felt it was the right time. I can still play all three formats easily. That’s why I say that fitness is in your mind and how you train it. I believe everything is in the mind, I have a lot of self-belief because I know I can control my mind. It’s not easy, but I know most of the time, I can do that. If you tell your body you’re young, you can do that,” he added.
Rohit Sharma recent led India to 2-0 Test series win over Bangladesh. He will be back in action for India’s upcoming three-match Test series against New Zealand, starting on October 16 in Bengaluru.