South African batting icon AB de Villiers praised Rohit Sharma's legacy as a batter and captain following India's exciting four-wicket victory against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final.
The victory gave India its third Champions Trophy triumph and put another feather to Rohit's already spectacular cap.
Under Rohit's guidance, India won their second ICC trophy in less than nine months, having previously defeated South Africa in Bridgetown for the 2024 T20 World Cup. That victory broke India's long ICC title drought, which began with the 2013 Champions Trophy success under MS Dhoni's captaincy.
With the win, Rohit became India's second most successful skipper in terms of ICC titles. Following his recent victory, Rohit put an end to talk that he will retire from the ODI format, much like he did from T20Is after winning the World Cup in Barbados.
The skipper was named Player of the Final after scoring a match-winning 76.
AB de Villiers questioned why with such amazing form and batting skills, why would Rohit Sharma retire.
“Why would he retire? With that kind of record, not only as captain but also as a batter. That 76 in the final, gave India a fantastic start, laying the foundation for success, and leading from the front when the pressure was at its peak. Rohit Sharma has got no reason to retire. No reason to take any criticism whatsoever. His record speaks for itself,” AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
De Villiers also highlighted Rohit’s growth as a player over the years.
“If we have a look at his strike rate in the powerplay, it was quite low for an opening batter, but since 2022, his strike rate has risen to 115 in the first powerplay. That’s the difference between good and great. It’s transforming your own game—it never stops. You always have something to learn and something to do better,” he added.
"Compared to other captains, look at Rohit’s win percentage—it’s almost 74%, which is substantially more than any other captain of the past. If he keeps going, he will go down as one of the best ODI captains of all time. Rohit has also said he is not retiring and has requested that rumors be stopped," de Villiers concluded.
Rohit Sharma will next be seen in action for Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025, under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya.
