Yograj Singh, former Indian cricketer and father of legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, has strongly reacted to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s decision not to retire from ODI cricket after winning the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai on Sunday (March 9).
Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final between India and New Zealand, many speculated that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli might step away from ODI cricket after the tournament. However, Rohit Sharma made it clear that he’s not going anywhere after guiding India to another ICC title.
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, 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).
Meanwhile, Yograj Singh praised Rohit’s decision not to call time on his ODI career. The former Indian cricketer boldly declared that neither Rohit nor Virat Kohli can be forced into retirement. He insisted that they should retire after winning the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. India cricketer Yograj Singh has praised Rohit for making the call. In fact, he wants both Rohit and Virat Kohli to continue playing ODI cricket till the 2027 world cup.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli to retire after winning 2027 ODI World Cup, claims Yograj Singh
Yuvraj Singh’s father Yograj Singh has backed India captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to continue playing for the Men in Blue till the 2027 ODI World Cup. The remarks came after Rohit led India to the 2025 Champions Trophy title. India beat the Kiwis by four wickets in the final to lift back-to-back ICC trophies.
Yograj added that no one can retire the two senior players while crediting Rohit for clarifying his decision not to hang his boots during the post-match press conference. He told ANI:
“The best thing is that Rohit Sharma said he is not retiring. Well done, my son. Nobody can retire Rohit and Virat. They should think about retirement after winning the 2027 ODI World Cup. I had said this before India would win.”
Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 100 against Pakistan in a group-stage match. The 36-year-old also played a valuable 84-run knock against Australia in the Champions Trophy semifinal. Meanwhile, Rohit stepped up in the summit clash, scoring 76 while chasing 252. The 37-year-old shared a 105-run partnership with Shubman Gill for the opening stand.
The two players will next be seen in action for their respective franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, which kicks off on March 22. Meanwhile, the Indian cricket team will next play a five-match Test series during the England tour to kickstart their 2025-27 World Test Championship Cycle (WTC). The Test silverware is the only trophy missing in India’s cabinet.