Rohit Sharma Breaks Silence on ODI Retirement, Says 'I Will Stop When I Can't Deliver'
- Rohit Sharma has not retired from ODIs yet but is aware of when the right time will come.
- Rohit has retired from T20Is after India’s 2024 T20 World Cup win and recently from Test cricket.
- Despite stepping back from other formats, he remains committed to ODIs for now.
India’s white-ball captain Rohit Sharma has finally addressed questions surrounding his future in One Day Internationals (ODIs). In a candid conversation with senior journalist Vimal Kumar, Rohit made it clear that while he’s not done just yet, he’s very aware of when to walk away.
The old warhorse underscored his changed batting approach, stating, "I played like I played before, I played slowly. Before, I would play 30 balls in the first 10 overs and remain at just 10 runs. But if I play 20 balls today, why shouldn't I score 30, 35, or even 40 runs? And on those days when I do get started, putting my foot on the gas, making 80 runs in the first 10 overs is not that bad at all. That is the way I think now".
"I've done it; I've made the runs I was supposed to. Now, I want to play cricket differently. I'm not going to take any of this for granted. Don't think that things are going to just keep on going the same way, that I'm going to continue scoring 20 or 30 runs and just keep on playing. The day that I feel like I'm not capable of doing what I want to do on the field, I'll stop playing. That's for sure. But today, I know that what I'm doing is still assisting the team", he further stated.
Rohit has been one of the mainstays of India's ODI unit, scoring 11,168 runs in 273 games at a remarkable average of 48.76. India won the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy this year under his captaincy, adding another chapter to his legacy in white-ball cricket.
Though he brought an end to his T20 career following the Barbados final, the 37-year-old recently hung up his Test boots after an 11-year stint, playing 67 Tests and amassing 4,301 runs. His best Test score of 212 was achieved in a classic series against South Africa in 2019.
Though he's closed the red-ball chapter, Rohit is still dedicated to ODIs, at least for now.
Rohit's message is unmistakable: he's still hungry, still fired up, but when the time arrives to take a step back, he'll do it his way.
