'That point of your career… everyone's waiting for you to retire': Ponting on Rohit Sharma's ‘won’t quit ODIs' stance

When celebrating with Virat Kohli with stumps moments after leading India to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 title, captain Rohit Sharma said, "Are hum koi retire nahi ho rahe hai, (We are not retiring)." It was addressed at the photographers lined up to capture Rohit and Kohli's celebration on the pitch side as if it was their last. It wasn't. But the world was yet to know. A few minutes later, Rohit made sure everyone did. At the end of the post-final press conference, Rohit announced, "One more thing, I’m not going to retire from this format, just to make sure no more rumours are spread." India captain Rohit Sharma with the Champions Trophy(AP)

It was a statement. He has been making a few of those in the white-ball format since adopting a completely different style of batting since India's semi-final exit in the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022. The result followed. Rohit scored more than 500 runs at a 100-plus strike rate in ODI World Cup at home in 2023. He missed the title after falling short in the final but seven months later, he led the team to the T20 World Cup title. In another nine months, he became the first Indian captain to win back-to-back ICC titles in successive years.

Rohit scored a swashbuckling 76 in the final against New Zealand, which earned him the Player of the Match award. Rohit hit 5 centuries in World Cup 2019, but his strike rate in the first Powerplay in that year was just 67.74, and in five years (2015-19), it was 75.81. Since 2020, he has been striking at 115.51 in the Powerplay. He has also hit more sixes in the first 10 overs of an ODI in the last couple of years than any batter in the entire 50 overs.

Ricky Ponting wants Rohit Sharma to lead India in 2027 ODI World Cup

Does Rohit's form, his announcement of not retiring after India's Champions Trophy-winning run signify that he is set to lead India in the next ODI World Cup in 2027? Legendary Australia skipper Ricky Ponting certainly thinks so. The two-time World Cup-winning captain said Rohit has reached that point in his career where everyone anticipates him to retire.

“When you start getting to that point of your career, everyone's waiting for you to retire,” Ponting told ICC. “And I don't know why, when you can still play as well as he's played (in the final), I think he was just trying to put those questions to bed once and for all and say, ‘no, I'm still playing well enough. I love playing in this team. I love leading this team.’

“And I think, the fact that he said that, to me, it means that he must have that goal in mind of playing in the next (50-over) World Cup (in 2027).”

“I think probably the fact that they lost the last one and he was captain, that might be the thing that's playing on the back of his mind," Ponting noted.

Ponting, who has shared the dressing room with Rohit at Mumbai Indians, said he deserves one more crack at winning the ODI World Cup to complete the ICC white-ball treble.

“Just have one more crack at trying to win the T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy, and the ODI World Cup. I mean when you see him play like he played in the Champions Trophy final, you wouldn't say that his time is up just yet.”

However, while speaking to 'JioHotstar', the Indian skipper was non-committal on playing the next big ICC 50-over tournament, in South Africa

"Right now, I am taking things as they come. It wouldn't be fair for me to think too far ahead. At this moment, my focus is on playing well and maintaining the right mindset. I don't want to draw any lines and say whether I will or won't play in the 2027 World Cup. There's no point in making such statements right now," Rohit said after the final.

"Realistically, I have always taken my career one step at a time. I don't like thinking too far into the future, and I haven't done so in the past either. For now, I am enjoying my cricket and the time I spend with this team. I hope my teammates enjoy my presence as well. That's all that matters at this point."

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