A couple of months after announcing his retirement from the shortest format following India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph in the Americas, Rohit Sharma said his decision was final and he has no plans of making a comeback to the format.
Several cricketers from across the world have reversed their decisions to retire multiple times, including the likes of Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik and more. Even renowned athletes such as Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Kim Clijsters, Tom Brady have made U-turns after announcing retirements.
Rohit feels that the word “retirement” has lost a bit of its value in international cricket after several cricketers from across the world have returned after announcing their plans of retiring.
“The concept of retirements in world cricket has become a bit of a joke. Someone announces retirement and comes back to play again. Although it hasn’t happened in India, I see players overseas announcing retirement and reversing it. You can’t figure out whether the player has actually retired or not. I’m not talking about myself. I am final and clear in my decision,” Rohit said.
Rohit, along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja were the three high-profile Indian cricketers to announce their retirements from the shortest format after guiding India to a World Cup triumph after 13 years. India had last won a World Cup back in 2011 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who also guided India to their first ever World Cup title in the shortest format in 2007.
Rohit ended his T20I career as the country’s highest run-getter in the format – 4231 from 159 matches at a strike-rate of 140 and including five centuries, the joint-highest with Glenn Maxwell. Rohit & Co came agonisingly close to winning the 2023 ODI World Cup at home, but finished runners-up to Australia in November, last year.
The trio waited for one final hurrah in June, and managed to break India’s jinx in global big-ticket tournaments. Rohit also emerged as India’s highest scorer in the T20 World Cup with 257 runs, including a best of 92 against Australia, arguably the best knock of the tournament.
“That was it. It was the perfect time to say goodbye to the format which I really loved playing. I made my debut for India in ODIs but straightaway played the T20 World Cup in 2007 from there. I won that and now I’ve won this, so I thought it was a good time to move on,” he said.
As India turns their focus on the second leg of the World Test Championship, a lot will bank on the shoulders of the trio of Rohit, Virat and Ravindra Jadeja, when India lock horns with Bangladesh in a two-Test series, starting in Chennai on Thursday.
India will then host New Zealand for three Tests at home next month before flying Down Under to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in a gruelling five-Test series against Australia.