Now at the age of 38, talks of when Rohit Sharma will call it a day from international cricket will follow him around until he does choose to take the step back. Despite no indication that he wishes to leave the ODI team, his retirement from T20I and Test cricket has lead to fans wondering when he might make that decision.
However, in the wake of a sterling 121* at the Sydney Cricket Ground that proved Rohit still has the capability to bat India into winning positions, and a series in which Rohit’s lost weight and fitter frame were clear for all to see, his childhood coach Dinesh Lad put to rest any rumours of retirement.
Speaking to PTI following Rohit’s success in Australia, Lad commented about how Rohit let his batting do the talking after many argued for Yashasvi Jaiswal to take his place ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
"This is a special moment. There were talks that he was not performing, that he should stop playing cricket, but he played two good innings in the last two matches, 75 (73) first and now 120 (121*), and has shown he is still a top player who'll still contribute to the country,” explained Lad, who has mentored Rohit since his youth cricket days in Mumbai.
‘Secret is his self-confidence…’
Taking a closer look at the positive change Rohit made, Lad stated that it was about mentality, and self-belief knowing that he had more to offer the team. As per the coach, this is the same reason why he hasn’t yet stepped down from what is his best format, and also went on to confirm that Rohit would only contemplate retirement after the 2027 World Cup set to take place in South Africa.
{{/usCountry}}Taking a closer look at the positive change Rohit made, Lad stated that it was about mentality, and self-belief knowing that he had more to offer the team. As per the coach, this is the same reason why he hasn’t yet stepped down from what is his best format, and also went on to confirm that Rohit would only contemplate retirement after the 2027 World Cup set to take place in South Africa.
{{/usCountry}}"The only secret is his self-confidence. That's why he hasn't retired. He wants to play the 2027 World Cup and only retire after that, and he's preparing for that,” stated Lad.
Rohit also won player of the series honours after scoring 202 runs in the three matches in Australia, fighting through some sensational new ball bowling by Josh Hazlewood in the second and third ODIs. He will now return to India and begin preparations for the next ODI series, against South Africa later this year.