Rohit Sharma dismisses retirement rumors, focuses on upcoming ODI leg
What's the story
Indian cricket team captain, Rohit Sharma, has squashed rumors of his retirement plans. Ahead of the 1st ODI against England in Nagpur, Rohit, in a press conference, said that his immediate focus is on the impending three-match ODI series and the ICC Champions Trophy. He didn't comment on reports whether the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asked him to decide his future following the Champions Trophy.
Dismissal
Rohit's response to retirement rumors
Annoyed with the retirement rumors, Rohit, in the pre-match conference, said, "How is it relevant that I talk about my future plans here?" He stressed such reports have been floating around for quite some time. His focus right now is on the upcoming ODI leg. This came after a Times of India report quoting an anonymous BCCI source claimed officials sought clarity on Rohit's future during the last selection committee meeting.
Board's perspective
BCCI's stance on Rohit
The anonymous BCCI source revealed that during the latest selection committee meeting, officials had discussed Rohit's future with him. This is part of their plans for the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. This discussion was initiated due to a dip in Rohit's performance in 2024, where he failed to achieve significant scores across home and away Test series.
Age
Rohit will turn 40 by 2027 ODI WC
Rohit, who will turn 38 in April, will be nearly 40 when the next ODI World Cup in South Africa arrives. His recent Test cricket form has been poor, due to which he missed India's last Test in Sydney in January. However, he hasn't played enough ODI cricket post the 2023 World Cup. These aspects are being considered by the BCCI as they plan for future leadership transitions.
England series
Rohit set for England ODI series
For now, Rohit is set to lead India in the three-match ODI series against England, starting February 6 in Nagpur. While the Indian skipper aims for a series win, he eyes several milestones with the bat. Rohit is only 134 shy of completing 11,000 runs in ODI cricket. If he manages to do it in his next 19 innings, he will be the second-fastest to do so after Virat Kohli (222 innings).