After leading India to a T20 World Cup victory in June 2024, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from international T20s. A few days ago, the Indian batting star known as the “Hitman” also stepped away from Test cricket.
While announcing his Test retirement on social media, Rohit stated that he would continue playing in the ODI format. However, he did not mention how long he intends to play 50-over cricket, leaving fans curious about his plans.
Judging by Rohit’s current mindset, it’s clear he has an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup. But what he wants may not be the deciding factor — the thoughts of the BCCI and national selectors will play a more crucial role.
Amid growing speculation, Rohit offered some insight into his future in ODIs and gave a hint about when he might bid farewell to the format.
Rohit explained: “I will continue to play the way I’m used to. Earlier, I would score 10 runs off 30 balls in the first 10 overs. But now, if I face 20 balls, I feel like — why can’t I score 30, 35, or even 40 runs? And if the bat flows well, what’s wrong with scoring 80 in 10 overs? That’s the mindset I have now.”
He added: “I’ve done this before too. I just want to play cricket in a different way now. I’m not taking anything for granted. It’s not like I’ll keep playing even if I only score 20 or 30 runs. The day I feel I’m not able to do what I want to do on the field, I will walk away from the game — no doubt about it. But at the moment, I feel what I’m doing is helping the team.”
So far, Rohit has played 273 ODIs for India, scoring 11,168 runs from 265 innings. His stellar record includes 32 centuries and 58 half-centuries.
UA / TDS
