(Image source from: Indiatoday.in)
Rohit Sharma is regarded as one of the finest batters in the history of white-ball cricket. The 38-year-old right-handed player from Mumbai holds the record for most runs scored in T20 Internationals and has surpassed 11,000 runs in One Day Internationals. On June 29, 2024, following India's triumph in the T20 World Cup, Rohit declared his retirement from T20Is, and then he departed from Test cricket on May 7, 2025. Despite these withdrawals, he remains an active participant in the 50-over format and aims to represent India in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Rohit's most recent ODI appearance for his country occurred on March 9, 2025, against New Zealand, during which he scored 76 runs off 83 balls, earning him the Player of the Match award in the 2025 Champions Trophy final held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Rohit continues to hold significant stature in international cricket; however, according to a report by Hindustan Times on June 9, a source indicated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had anticipated his retirement from ODIs following India's success in the Champions Trophy. Reportedly, there has been no conversation between Rohit and the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, regarding his future in ODIs. "Honestly, many of us believed Rohit would step back from the ODI format after securing the Champions Trophy. There have been no talks between Rohit and the selectors concerning his ODI prospects," a BCCI insider revealed.
Rohit experienced a challenging period with the bat during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy but made a comeback with significant contributions in the Champions Trophy, effectively silencing his detractors. The only captain to lead his team to all four ICC tournament finals, Rohit was last seen playing for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025, where he scored a total of 418 runs in 15 matches, aided by four half-centuries. In the Eliminator match against Gujarat Titans in Mullanpur on March 30, he achieved the milestone of 7000 runs in the IPL and became the first Indian player to hit 300 sixes in the league.
