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Before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, there were speculations about it being Rohit Sharma's last white-ball tournament. Even before the final, there were rumours floating around his retirement. But, Rohit quashed all the rumours after the Champions Trophy triumph by saying noone is retiring. While Rohit has not guaranteed that he will play till ODI World Cup 2027, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels that the 37-year-old is not ready to draw curtains on his 50-over career because of that one loss in the ODI World Cup 2023 final.
Rohit has been an excellent white-ball captain. After the semifinal exit in T20 World Cup 2022, he led India to the final of ODI World Cup 2023 followed by T20 World Cup 2024 and Champions Trophy 2025 triumphs. During his tenure, he won the Asia Cup 2023 as well. However, he is yet to tick off ODI World Cup from his list.
“When you start getting to that point of your career, everyone's waiting for you to retire,” Ponting said on the ICC review.
“And I don't know why, when you can still play as well as he's played (in the final), I think he was just trying to put those questions to bed once and for all and say, ‘no, I'm still playing well enough. I love playing in this team. I love leading this team.’
“And I think, the fact that he said that, to me, it means that he must have that goal in mind of playing in the next (50-over) World Cup (in 2027).”
Ponting pointed out the way Rohit played in the Champions Trophy final during his 76-run knock. He believes Rohit intends to have another crack at ODI World Cup which will take place two years later in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
“I think probably the fact that they lost the last one and he was captain, that might be the thing that's playing on the back of his mind," Ponting noted.
“Just have one more crack at trying to win the T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy, and the ODI World Cup.
“I mean when you see him play like he played in the Champions Trophy final, you wouldn't say that his time is up just yet.”
