March 9 might be the last time Rohit Sharma will don the blue jersey. The India cricket team captain has already retired from T20I cricket, and the ICC Champions Trophy Final could be the last time he plays an ODI. As the opener looks to become the second Indian captain after MS Dhoni to win two ICC trophies, there is a great chance that he will retire as well.
Rohit Sharma to consider retirement
According to PTI, Rohit Sharma will take a call on his ODI career after the ICC Champions Trophy. It will happen irrespective of the outcomes of the India vs. New Zealand match. Whether Men in Blue wins or loses may have no bearing on Rohit’s 50-over future. This also goes against what was previously reported. It was suggested that a title run could prolong the Mumbaiker’s career, but that may not be true.
Once the ICC Champions Trophy concludes, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, will convene with the Indian captain. We already know how bad Rohit Sharma’s Test results have been in the last six months. He became the first captain to get whitewashed at home. Team India lost a Test series at home after 12 years and failed to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade.
Is Rohit Sharma in BCCI’s Test scheme of things?
At this moment, there is uncertainty about whether Rohit Sharma will be going to England in June, as captain or a batter. If he isn’t in BCCI’s Test plans, is there any use of him continuing as India’s ODI captain? Mind you, the Men in Blue will play just 9 ODIs in the remainder of 2025.
Wouldn’t it be better to bring Yashasvi Jaiswal as the opener and hand the captaincy to Shubman Gill, who is the vice-captain in ODIs? The 2027 ODI World Cup seems far away at this moment. Can BCCI persist with Rohit Sharma until then? Will his body hold up? One mustn’t forget that he’s 37, and he isn’t the specimen like Ravindra Jadeja or Virat Kohli.
Winning Champions Trophy: The perfect time to hang up the boots?
It could be that Rohit Sharma himself feels it’s time. He did retire from the shortest format after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. He had nothing left to achieve in the format. He had already won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007. If he wins the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, he might feel the same. Rohit did win the 2013 edition as well. The ODI World Cup will elude him, but he will have nothing to prove to himself or anyone else.
Rohit Sharma stats for India
| Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | Highest Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 116 | 4301 | 40.57 | 57.05 | 12 | 18 | 212 |
| ODIs | 264 | 11092 | 48.64 | 92.81 | 32 | 57 | 264 |
| T20Is | 151 | 4231 | 32.05 | 140.89 | 5 | 32 | 121* |
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