The chatter surrounding Rohit Sharma's future in cricket has been persistent, intensifying after India's Test series loss to New Zealand and their subsequent defeat in Australia. Rohit's back-to-back batting blips in Tests fueled speculation about his potential retirement. However, Rohit silenced these doubts with a resounding comeback, leading India to the historic Champions Trophy 2025 title triumph just months after their T20 World Cup 2024 glory.
Despite the whispers, Rohit himself clarified his intentions, stating unequivocally that he is not retiring from One Day Internationals. While the duration of his career remains uncertain, his focus on the 2027 World Cup is clear. The near miss of the World Cup 2023 on home soil has seemingly ignited a desire for one final push, even though he would be 41 by then, a prospect that doesn't appear to deter him.
Rohit Sharma replies to Michael Clarke's retirement advice
Adding an intriguing layer to this discussion, former Australian captain Michael Clarke has advised Rohit to continue playing until the age of 45. Clarke's reasoning, shared on his Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, stemmed partly from Rohit recently becoming a father again.
"Huge congratulations on your boy. Super happy for you. You've got plenty of time to be a dad. You can be a dad and still play. Play till you're 45 and then retire'," Clarke told Rohit.
"I am going home tomorrow. So just one day of being dad," the India captain replied.
"That's the other thing a lot of people don't realise. One day at home feels like 2 weeks. Your own bed, your family, the comfort of being home and seeing both your kids," Clarke further added.
Last November marked a significant personal moment for Rohit Sharma and his wife, Ritika, with the arrival of their second child, Ahan. This joyous occasion, however, necessitated Rohit's absence from the opening match of the series in Perth. Having previously missed the birth of their first child, Samaira, in 2018, Rohit felt compelled to request paternity leave from the BCCI. Rohit then talked at length about that incident.
"In the 2018 Australia tour, I had to miss a Test match and fly back home, but I was a day late. My wife had already given birth. We were in the middle of the Boxing Day Test match. On 29th December, Day 4, Australia were 7 down at tea time. I am looking 'Ok, I can make this flight'. But Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon batted the whole time and then we had to come next morning to get them out. The flight was only in the evening so I missed it," Rohit continued.
"We finished the Test matches in India against New Zealand and then I requested BCCI that I just want to stay home and without even a glimpse of thought the BCCI was like ok, just go for it. Take your time. There was no pressure on me to come to Australia. It was just my call, whenever I wanted to come. And look, Australia is a place you don't want to miss playing cricket in. We all love coming here and play," he concluded.
Mumbai Indians' former captain Rohit isn't going through the best of his form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. In a total of five matches, the Hitman has scored just 56 runs at an average of 11.20. He will next be seen in action in MI's next match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 17.