The “unwarranted” speculation on Rohit Sharma‘s retirement during the Champions Trophy irked former captain Dilip Vengsarkar to no end as he believes greats like the current India skipper Rohit Sharma deserve time and space to decide on their future.
Former India batter Dilip Vengsarkar criticized the speculations on Rohit Sharma’s retirement during the recently-concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2025. According to Vengsarkar, cricket legends like the current Indian captain should have autonomy in deciding their future.
After leading India to the Champions Trophy title win, Rohit Sharma addressed the inevitable question surrounding his ODI future, confirming that he was not going anywhere from the format. However, the 37-year-old Rohit Sharma remained non-committal about his participation in the 2027 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli set to retire but not before 2027 ODI World Cup
Rohit Sharma has set the record straight, once and for all, that he’s not quitting ODI cricket anytime soon. And he has earned the right to do so after guiding India to their second ICC title triumph in 10 months as he became the third Indian captain after Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni to win the Champions Trophy.
The 37-year-old Rohit Sharma may not have set the stage alight in the group stage and the semifinal of the competition, but he seemed to have reserved his best for the all-important finale with a blistering half-century on a tricky Dubai pitch that formed the base of India’s four-wicket win over New Zealand last Sunday.
Rohit Sharma won player-of-the match award for his brilliant 83-ball 76 to help India chase down 252 in 49 overs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. And after celebrating the triumph with his India teammates and family members, the veteran of 273 ODIs who made his international debut in 2007, shut down the rumours around his future by announcing he’s not retiring.
And former The 37-year-old captain led from the front in the CT 2025 Final, playing a crucial knock of 76 runs that set the tone for India’s four-wicket win over the Black Caps in Dubai. In a viral video shared on social media after the Men in Blue’s title triumph, Rohit Sharma was seen celebrating with Kohli.
In the same video, the Indian captain said that they are not going to retire anytime soon. Later, in the post-match press conference, Rohit clarified by saying, “I am not going to retire from this format. Just to make sure no rumors are spread moving forward.”
Despite facing criticism over his leadership following India’s Test series losses to New Zealand and Australia, Rohit has been exceptional in ODIs. Under his captaincy, India has dominated ICC events, winning 15 of their last 16 ODI matches, and the only setback came in the 2023 World Cup final.
Additionally, Rohit also performed well in the recent ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where he amassed 180 runs in five games at a stunning strike rate of 100. His attacking approach and composed leadership have once again proved his critics wrong.
As players, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli added another trophy to their names. The duo together won the 2025 and 2013 Champions Trophy titles and the 2024 T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, Rohit was part of Team India when they won the 2007 T20 World Cup. On the other hand, Kohli won the 2011 ODI World Cup with the Men in Blue.
Rohit Sharma, in particular, also became the second most successful Indian captain after MS Dhoni with multiple (two) ICC trophies. As a skipper, Dhoni won three ICC titles (2007 T20WC, 2011 ODIWC and 2013CT).
Former India player Dilip Vengsarkar said that people should stop speculating on Rohit Sharma’s retirement, adding that the current India skipper deserve time and space to decide on their future. Rumours were rampant before the final of the Champions Trophy about Rohit calling it a day after winning the trophy but the Hitman dismissed them in the post-match press conference.
Former cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar’s quirky response to query over Rohit Sharma’s future after India’s 2025 Champions Trophy win
Former Indian chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar has responded to speculation about Rohit Sharma’s future despite the skipper declaring he is not retiring from one-day cricket anytime soon. Vengsarkar stated that he was not an astrologer and stated that a lot will depend on many other factors.
Reports about the 37-year-old’s retirement had been circulating ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 final. However, the veteran firmly shut down the rumors after a strong batting performance in the decider against New Zealand but didn’t express complete confidence in playing the 2027 World Cup.
When asked about Rohit’s playing future, the 68-year-old said the speculation about the opener’s retirement is unwarranted and that players like Rohit and Virat Kohli deserve to do so on their terms. He told PTI:
“I am not an astrologer. A lot of matches to go till the 2027 World Cup. A lot will depend on his form and fitness. It is not fair to say anything at this stage but he has been outstanding as both captain and player. I don’t know why people speculated (on his retirement), it’s unwarranted,”said Dilip Vengserkar.
“A player of his stature should get to decide about his future. Guys like Virat and Rohit are big match players, bigger the platform the better the performance. It is very important from the team’s point of view. Their sheer presence is demoralizing the opposition,” he added.
The Champions Trophy final at the Dubai International Stadium saw the Nagpur-born cricketer join MS Dhoni as the only Indian skipper to win both the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy. The captain slammed a brisk 76 to break the back of the run-chase and the Men in Blue eventually won by four wickets.