India captain Rohit Sharma has clarified that he intends to continue playing the 50-over format, dispelling rumors of immediate retirement after leading the team to victory in the Champions Trophy in Dubai.
Rohit had previously stepped down from Twenty20 Internationals following India’s triumph in the 20-overs World Cup in the West Indies last year.
Speculation had arisen that the opener, who will turn 38 next month, might follow suit after India’s win against New Zealand in the 50-over final on Sunday.
Though he was not directly questioned about retirement, Rohit addressed the speculation by stating at the end of his post-match press conference, “Just to make sure that no rumors are spread moving forward, I’m not going to retire from this format.”
Sunday’s victory marked India’s second consecutive title in an International Cricket Council global tournament.
Under Rohit’s captaincy, India has only lost one match in their last three ICC events—the final of the 2023 home 50-over World Cup against Australia.
Similar to the T20 World Cup last year, India remained undefeated throughout the tournament, with Rohit delivering a match-winning 76 runs in the low-scoring final.
“I understand the importance of scoring runs in the powerplay, because we observed in all five games that scoring becomes difficult after 10 overs when the field spreads and spinners enter the game,” India’s test and one-day international captain explained.
“It becomes challenging because the pitch is slow, and we are batting second.”
Rohit, who holds the record for five centuries in a single ODI World Cup in 2019, despite India’s semi-final exit, emphasized that team success provides greater satisfaction than individual achievements.
“I contributed significantly in the 2019 World Cup, but we didn’t win, so it wasn’t enjoyable.”
“Even scoring 30-40 runs and securing a win provides more satisfaction and happiness.”
