Rohit Sharma opens up on retirement plans

Indian star opener Rohit Sharma, the newly crowned T20 World Cup champion captain, has put to rest speculations about his retirement from the longer formats of the game.

Just two weeks after announcing his departure from T20Is, Sharma has confirmed that he has no plans to hang up his boots from ODIs and Tests just yet.

Speaking at an event, Sharma stated, “I just said it, I don’t look that far ahead. So clearly, you will be seeing me play for a while.”

Sharma’s leadership has been instrumental in India’s recent successes, including the T20 World Cup 2024 title, the World Test Championship 2023, and the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023.

His ability to remain calm under pressure and execute plans effectively was on full display during the thrilling final against South Africa, where India defended a total of 168 runs.

Recalling the nail-biting finish, Sharma said, “I was completely blank because I don’t think too far ahead. I focus on the situation. It was important for all of us to stay calm and execute our plans.” He praised his team’s composure, saying, “So when they needed 30 off 30, the pressure was on us, and the five overs that we bowled then, it showed we did our job calmly, didn’t panic, which was very good from our side.”

With 4231 runs in 159 matches, Rohit Sharma holds the record for the most runs scored in Men’s T20Is. He scored five centuries and 32 fifties in the shortest format.