Former India batter Dilip Vengsarkar criticized the speculations on Rohit Sharma's retirement during the recently-concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
According to Vengsarkar, cricket legends like the current Indian captain should have autonomy in deciding their future.
After leading India to the Champions Trophy title win, Rohit addressed the inevitable question surrounding his ODI future, confirming that he was not going anywhere from the format. However, the 37-year-old remained non-committal about his participation in the 2027 World Cup.
"I am not an astrologer. A lot of matches to go till the 2027 World Cup. A lot will depend on his form and fitness. It is not fair to say anything at this stage but he has been outstanding as both captain and player. I don't know why people speculated (on his retirement), it's unwarranted. A player of his stature should get to decide about his future," Vengsarkar told PTI.
The Champions Trophy triumph marked Rohit's second ICC title as captain, following India's T20 World Cup 2024 win, where they edged past South Africa in a thrilling final at Barbados.
Rohit's explosive batting performances in both the marquee events proved valuable in challenging conditions. His aggressive approach in Dubai, particularly during the CT final against New Zealand, allowed other players to adapt to the slow surface.
"The way he has been playing all this time is nothing short of exemplary. He has got three double hundreds in ODI. What more do I say about him.
"Guys like Virat and Rohit are big match players, bigger the platform the better the performance. It is very important from team's point of view. Their sheer presence is demoralising the opposition," said Vengsarkar.
Set a target of 252 by New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final, the Men in Blue rode on Rohit’s 76 and crucial contributions from Shreyas Iyer (48) and KL Rahul (34*) to get over the line with four wickets in hand and an over to spare.
Vengsarkar was effusive in praise of Iyer and Rahul’s innings in the title clash. "Iyer did very well but I am not happy the way he got out in the final. He should have continued till the very end and finished the game. But happy to see him realise his potential. KL too played a few important innings at number six but still not convinced Axar Patel batting ahead of him at five. The left-hand right-hand combination could be the only reason."
Vengsarkar also acknowledged the selection committee's role in the team's success. "Credit needs to go to the selectors as well. They stuck with Rohit after the Australia series. Even the decision to take five spinners in the squad proved to be a master stroke."
