Will Rohit retire after Champions Trophy? Gill reveals details
What's the story
Ahead of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 final, India vice-captain Shubman Gill clarified that no talks of Rohit Sharma's retirement have been held in the team. Speculation about Sharma's future in international cricket has grown stronger, with many believing he might retire after the summit clash against New Zealand. However, Gill stressed that all attention is on winning the final match. "We have not discussed it," Gill said at the press conference before the final. Here are further details.
Team spirit
Gill emphasizes team's focus on winning
"All the chatter and the discussion are about winning the match. And what we have to do to win the match," Gill stated. He further clarified that Sharma has not spoken to either him or the team about retirement plans. "He has not spoken to the team about this or to me. I think Rohit is thinking about winning the final as well. I think once the match gets over tomorrow, he will take a call," he further added.
Criticism
Sharma's performance under scrutiny
Sharma's form has faced intense scrutiny ahead of the Champions Trophy, especially after India's Test losses to New Zealand and Australia. However, India's head coach defended his leadership, emphasizing his impact on the team. Notably, Sharma recently crossed 11,000 ODI runs during India's match against Bangladesh in the ongoing tournament. He also became the first captain to lead his team to the finals of every ICC tournament.
Team morale
Shubman Gill expresses confidence in team's batting lineup
Ahead of the final against New Zealand, Shubman Gill expressed confidence in India's batting lineup. He called it "the best batting line-up" he is part of and praised Sharma and Virat Kohli's skills. Gill also said the depth in their order allows top-order batsmen to express themselves freely. This strong team spirit comes at a crucial time when Sharma's future remains uncertain.
Journey
India's road to the 2025 Champions Trophy final
India kickstarted their 2025 CT campaign with a dominant six-wicket win over Bangladesh. The win was fueled by Mohammed Shami's 5/53 and Gill's 101*. They then beat arch-rivals Pakistan by six wickets, thanks to Kohli's 100* and Kuldeep Yadav's 3/40. In their last group game against New Zealand, Sharma's men beat NZ by 44 runs on the back of Chakravarthy's 5/42. Meanwhile, Kohli's 84-run knock and spinners' brilliance secured India's four-wicket win over Australia in the semi-final.
Runs
Sharma's overall ODI stats and numbers in ongoing tournament
As mentioned, the skipper has crossed the 11,000 run mark and now owns 11,092 runs at an average of 48.64. Across 272 ODIs he has a strike rate of 92.81 alongside a high score of 264. He also owns 32 tons and 57 half-centuries. According to ESPNcricinfo, in the ongoing tournament, he has managed 104 runs in four innings at 26, alongside a strike rate of 107.21.