Rohit Sharma has ended speculation regarding his future in One Day International cricket. This announcement comes after India’s victory over New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 final, where they won by four wickets.
Leading up to the Champions Trophy final, there was considerable discussion about Rohit Sharma’s ODI future. Approaching his 38th birthday and with the next major ODI tournament, the 2027 World Cup, some speculated that he might retire from the format. However, in the post-match press conference, Sharma clarified that he has not made any decisions about retiring.
“I am not retiring from this format,” Rohit Sharma stated, aiming to dispel any further rumors. He added in Hindi, “Koi future plan hai nahi, jo chal raha hai chalega,” which translates to “There is no future plan, whatever is going on will continue as it is.”
Sharma highlighted the team’s strong motivation, stating, “There is a lot of hunger even in guys who have played a lot of cricket, and it inspires the younger players. We have five to six veteran players, which makes the job easier for everyone.”
In the Champions Trophy final held in Dubai, Rohit Sharma scored his first half-century in an ICC event final. He played a crucial innings against New Zealand, scoring 76 runs off 83 balls, including seven fours and three sixes, at a strike rate of 91.56.
Across nine ICC event finals, Rohit Sharma has accumulated 322 runs in 11 innings, averaging 32.20, with one half-century and a highest score of 76.
Rohit Sharma now joins an elite group of captains, including Sourav Ganguly (117 against New Zealand in the 2000 ICC Knockout final), Sanath Jayasuriya (74 against India in the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy final), and South Africa’s Hansie Cronje (61* against West Indies in the 1998 ICC Knockout final), as the only captains to score 50 or more in an ICC Champions Trophy final.
This score of 76 is Rohit Sharma’s best in any ODI final, surpassing his previous high of 66 against Australia in the 2008 Commonwealth Bank series final at the SCG.
