Fans are guessing after India captain Rohit Sharma made a sly comment about retiring from T20Is.
Rohit Sharma’s T20I career ended in the best possible way. During the post-match news conference in India, he guided his team to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados, took the trophy, put the tricolor on the ground, and quite casually declared his retirement from the format. Not too long after Virat Kohli, another Indian superstar, made his announcement regarding his retirement from Twenty20 international cricket, Rohit ended his career as the country’s top run scorer and century hitter.
Will Rohit, though, be able to mimic Shahid Afridi? Will the captain of India withdraw from the game that he declared to be over a month ago? The first One-Day International (ODI) between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo is approaching, and Rohit made some comments that have the internet buzzing. Playing his first 50-overs encounter for India since the 2023 World Cup final, Rohit joked that he still felt rested from T20Is and that he would be called up for any major tournament that took place in India, such as the 2026 T20 World Cup or the 2025 Asia Cup.
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“Up till now, this is how I feel. I had the feeling that I had rested for the Twenty20s, as I used to do when a major tournament was approaching and we needed to prepare for the Twenty20s once more. I still think it is that way. So I don’t think I’ve abandoned the format entirely,” Rohit stated on Thursday.
Indeed, Rohit made all of these jokes, but supporters are hoping that he hasn’t given up on him just yet. Rohit is most likely aiming for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. While Rohit will be 39 by the time he decides to make a U-turn on his retirement and compete in the next T20 World Cup, it’s another matter entirely that the captain’s remarks have sent the internet into a frenzy.
‘This is not a practice ground; it’s still international cricket’
However, with the Champions Trophy just seven months away, one must question if Sri Lanka is the kind of opponent that India wants as the focus now switches to the ODIs. The world champions from 1996 and 2014 are currently rated seventh in the ODI rankings and have not been able to secure a spot in the ICC tournament for the following year. All of that, though, is irrelevant to Rohit and India, who are determined to perform to the best of their abilities regardless of the opposition or the circumstances.
“Whether this series is a preparation for the Champions Trophy or the World Cup is a question that you are frequently asked. It remains an international match and not a training ground. Although our goals will remain in our minds, this is in no way a kind of practice, preparation, or anything like. We want to play well here and win the series,” Rohit expressed his desire.
