Rohit Sharma To Retire After Champions Trophy 2025 Final? Here’s What We Know
After serving Indian cricket for years with his tremendous batting and exceptional leadership, captain Rohit Sharma is reportedly considering retirement from One Day Internationals (ODIs) after the conclusion of the Champions Trophy 2025. Whether or not India lifts the trophy, speculation is rife that this could be his final game in the blue jersey.
If sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are to be believed, Rohit Sharma is expected to discuss his future with chief selector Ajit Agarkar after the tournament. While the Indian selectors play a crucial role in shaping the team, decisions about stalwarts like Rohit are often taken in consultation with the player.
Rohit has already secured his place in history as one of India’s most successful white-ball captains. Should India win the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand, he will join MS Dhoni as the only Indian skipper to win multiple ICC trophies. His deputy, Shubman Gill, remained tight-lipped about the issue ahead of the final, simply stating, “No discussions on retirement,” highlighting the sensitivity surrounding the matter.
Rohit and Virat Kohli both retired from T20 internationals after India’s triumphant T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. However, their paths in other formats diverge. Kohli, aiming for 10,000 Test runs and continued dominance in red-ball cricket, remains an integral part of the Test setup. Rohit, on the other hand, has had a mixed Test career and even opted out of the final Sydney Test on the recent Australia tour.
One of the major talking points is whether Rohit will continue as India’s Test captain for the England series. If he chooses to play, he could have a farewell home series against West Indies, part of the next World Test Championship cycle. However, with India’s next significant Test assignments being overseas, the selectors may look toward a younger leadership group.
Should Rohit continue playing ODIs? The Future Tours Programme (FTP) calendar presents an interesting challenge. After the Champions Trophy, India has no home ODIs scheduled until December 2025. This means Rohit would have to wait nearly nine months for another 50-over game unless he participates in away series against Bangladesh, the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, and a series in Australia.
With ODIs becoming the least prioritized format in bilateral series, does it make sense for Rohit to extend his career until the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa? That decision, expected to be finalized post-Champions Trophy, will have a lasting impact on India’s white-ball future.
While discussions about his retirement intensify, there is a strong argument for Rohit to continue leading India in ODIs. After the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal heartbreak, where England dominated India, Rohit reinvented his game. The shift from an accumulator to an aggressive opener gave India a fearless edge in white-ball cricket. His approach, backed by Gautam Gambhir and former coach Rahul Dravid, has redefined India’s batting philosophy.
Rohit’s commitment to putting the team’s success ahead of personal milestones has been evident. Despite fewer centuries in recent years, his high-impact powerplay starts have allowed India’s middle order to flourish. His strike rate has been consistently above 100 since 2022, demonstrating his evolved batting style.
Regardless of whether Rohit decides to retire after the Champions Trophy final, his impact on Indian cricket will endure. His fearless approach has set the template for the next generation, evident in India’s current T20 setup under Suryakumar Yadav.
However, Rohit’s dream of lifting an ODI World Cup remains unfulfilled. He narrowly missed out on the 2011 squad, carried India’s batting in 2019, and fell short in the 2023 final against Australia. Would he want to walk away knowing he could still script one final World Cup triumph in 2027?
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