After the loss in Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, Rohit Sharma’s future was in serious discussion. With Rohit almost turning 38 years and having already retired from T20Is, the focus is now on practically two formats after the T20 World Cup 2024. Rohit’s next Test series would be in June, touring England, while India’s next major ODI tournament will be in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Given that there is so much space between the Champions Trophy 2025 and the next World Cup, the school of thought supports the need for a transition.
Yet, Rohit’s influence as an opener and an explosive start is difficult to ignore. In between this, Dainik Jagran quoted a source in the BCCI saying that if India loses to New Zealand on Sunday in the final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai, Rohit may retire. The report also stated that if India wins, there remains uncertainty regarding Rohit’s future. The decision rests solely with Rohit-who captained India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
The report according to various sources also stated that if India wins the Champions Trophy in 2025, then there is a fair chance that Rohit might continue in ODIs only, while the captaincy would be handed over to a younger person-either Hardik Pandya or Shubman Gill, as stated in the report-if Rohit continues to be selected, he can then play for however long he wants.
Sunil Gavaskar, the legend, thinks that Rohit Sharma cannot be satisfied with merely scoring 25-30 runs and should attempt to bat longer innings; his presence at the crease can significantly impact the game for India. The Indian captain has followed an attacking approach in ODIs to give early fireworks to the team, but this has led to his downfall on several occasions.
In the ongoing Champions Trophy, he has scored a maximum of 41 runs against Bangladesh in their opening game.
“(If) He (Rohit Sharma) bats for even 25 overs, India will be around 180-200. Imagine if they lost only a couple of wickets by then; just think they could go on to score 350 or more,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“He must think a little bit. To be aggressive is one thing, but there has to be some discretion sprinkled in there, so he gives himself the chance to bat for 25 or 30 overs. If he does that, he takes the game away from the opposition. That sort of impact wins matches.”Though, Rohit has scored 20, 15, and 28 runs in the current tournament with Pakistan, New Zealand, and Australia, respectively.
“And I think, as a batter, are you happy with scoring 25-30 runs? You shouldn’t be! So that is what I would say to him: your impact on the team will be even greater if you bat for 25 overs instead of just seven, eight, or nine overs,” Gavaskar stated.
