It has been a tumultuous six months for Rohit Sharma, with runs hard to come by and the situation so dire that he even had to drop himself from the XI. But as they say, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. For Rohit Sharma, though, it wasn’t just light – it was radiance, luminescence and resplendence. Few India skippers would be as worthy of the Champions Trophy glory.
Amid intense speculation about his future and rumours of differences with coach Gautam Gambhir, there was a cloud of uncertainty surrounding his immediate prospects. Yet, Rohit Sharma never compromised on his style or approach to batting. Rohit Sharma continued to take on the bowlers with the sole aim of providing a solid start and setting a strong foundation for the team.
He succeeded more often than not in the Champions Trophy here in Dubai, although his approach and style of batting drew criticism from legends like Sunil Gavaskar. “As a batter, are you happy with scoring 25-30 runs?
You shouldn’t be,” Gavaskar told the India Today channel before the final, referring to his scores of 41, 20, 15 and 28 before the title clash. Rohit Sharma responded with a match-winning 76 on Sunday night. He was the player of the final.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s remarkable achievement in ICC tournaments
Rohit Sharma and Kohli now have won the most ICC titles as India players, winning four each. Kohli was part of Indian teams that won the 2011 ODI World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 and 2025, and 2024 T20 World Cup. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma won the 2007 World T20, Champions Trophy in 2013 and 2025, and 2024 T20 World Cup.
Kohli also has won the ICC U19 World Cup as captain. Rohit Sharma top-scored for India with 76 off 83 to help them chase down the target of 252 set by New Zealand in the final. For his performance, the 37-year-old won player-of-the-final award. In the twilight of his career, Rohit Sharma has adapted an aggressive approach with the bat which often sets the ton of the innings.
Rohit Sharma has made it crystal clear that he’s not retiring from ODI cricket. The India captain was in no mood to spare the rumourmongers during a chat with his teammate Virat Kohli as the duo posed for pictures while basking in the glory of their Champions Trophy win on Sunday night in Dubai.
A clip is being widely shared on social media in which an unfiltered Rohit Sharma is purportedly telling Kohli how everyone is thinking they are going to retire from ODIs when it’s not the case.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma has defended his outburst against Kuldeep Yadav in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia, saying his actions aren’t meant to hurt anyone. Quite often, Rohit, 37, has been seen calling out his players for being lazy on the field and not doing the needful. Even in the semi-final against Australia, Rohit and Virat Kohli expressed fury at Kuldeep after he let the ball go without attempting to collect it.
Then, in the final against New Zealand, Ravindra Jadeja and Virat had a go at Kuldeep after he didn’t run back behind the stumps to gather the throw. As a result, India missed out on the chance of running out Michael Bracewell.
In an interview with JioHotstar’s after the Champions Trophy win, Rohit Sharma explained the rationale behind players expressing their feelings on the field. He also spoke about getting a little “carried away” at times, saying it’s all in the “spirit of the game.”
Rohit Sharma’s candid admission after India’s 2025 Champions Trophy triumph
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma hailed his side and the players for their stellar showing in winning the 2025 Champions Trophy title. He admitted getting carried away occasionally on the field with the words exchanged with teammates but maintained that the actions were all in great spirit.
Team India won a second consecutive ICC title following a similar unbeaten run in the 2024 T20 World Cup. It was also Rohit’s second ICC title as captain, making him the only Indian skipper other than MS Dhoni with more than one.
Talking to JioHotstar’s about the Indian side after the 2025 Champions Trophy triumph, Rohit said (via Indian Express):
“We have an incredibly solid team, and it’s a joy to play alongside such committed individuals. Everyone knows their role and responsibilities. Of course, emotions run high on the field. Sometimes, I get a bit carried away, but it’s all in the spirit of the game. The words exchanged on the ground aren’t meant to hurt anyone or show off—they are just an expression of our passion. At the end of the day, our main goal is to win, and we are ready to do whatever it takes to achieve that.”
The win also meant India became the first-ever team to clinch the Champions Trophy thrice, breaking a tie with Australia on two. After a sub-par tournament with the bat, Rohit came up big on the final against New Zealand, top-scoring with an 83-ball 76.
Rohit Sharma expressed his delight at Team India going unbeaten in the 2025 Champions Trophy despite losing the toss in all five games. The skipper is still to win a toss in an ODI since the 2023 World Cup semifinal against the Kiwis.
“We went undefeated despite losing all five tosses. Yet, we still won the trophy. Across the five matches we played, we didn’t lose a single one. Winning a tournament without a single defeat is a massive achievement in itself, and it gives me immense satisfaction,” said Rohit.
He added:
“To be honest, until we won the trophy, no one really thought about it. But after the victory, it hit us—we had gone through the entire tournament undefeated. That realization made it even more special. It’s difficult to put into words how that feels right now.”
India boast multiple titles in all three ICC white-ball events – ODI and T20 World Cups, and Champions Trophy.