In a surprising turn of events, Rohit Sharma, widely revered for his cricketing prowess, has announced his retirement from T20 International cricket following India’s victorious World Cup campaign. Despite initially hesitating to step away from the format, Sharma ultimately made the decision after guiding his team to a historic triumph over South Africa.
“This was my last game as well. There couldn’t be a better moment to bid farewell. I had an intense desire to win this trophy. It’s difficult to express in words,” Sharma shared during an emotional post-match press conference.
Sharma’s journey in T20Is has been illustrious. Leading India in the 2022 T20 World Cup, his team was thwarted in the semifinals by eventual champions England. The subsequent year, under his leadership, India reached the final of the 50-over World Cup but faced defeat against Australia.
Exiting the T20I stage with an impressive record of 4231 runs from 159 matches, including five centuries and 32 half-centuries, Sharma continues to actively participate in Test and ODI formats.
In a candid video circulating on social media, Sharma admitted that retiring from T20Is wasn’t initially on his mind: “I hadn’t planned to retire from T20Is, but circumstances led me to this decision. Winning the World Cup was the perfect moment for me to say goodbye.”
With Sharma’s departure, speculation now centers on who will succeed him as the T20I captain, with Hardik Pandya emerging as a frontrunner. Pandya previously led India in T20Is during Sharma’s absence in 2023, demonstrating his leadership capabilities on the international stage.