Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 12: Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes that Indian skipper Rohit Sharma’s decision to continue playing in the 50-over format is driven by a sense of unfinished business, especially following India’s loss in the 2023 ICC Men’s World Cup final to Australia. Ponting pointed out that despite winning the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, Rohit’s mind is likely still focused on securing another World Cup victory.
Rohit Sharma, who was appointed India’s captain in 2021 at the age of 34, clinched his second ICC title on Sunday after leading India to an invincible Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai. The 37-year-old, who had previously retired from T20Is following the 2024 T20 World Cup victory, sparked retirement rumors after his remarkable performances, leading to discussions about his future in the 50-over format.
However, Rohit shut down any retirement speculation during the press conference after the final win over New Zealand, stating: “One more thing, I am not going to retire from this format, just to make sure no more rumors are spread.”
Speaking on The ICC Review, Ricky Ponting suggested that Rohit must have a specific goal in mind when making that announcement. “When you start getting to that point of your career, everyone is waiting for you to retire,” Ponting remarked. “And I do not know why, when you can still play as well as he has played (in the final), I think he was just trying to put those questions to bed once and for all.”
Ponting added that the fact that Rohit confirmed his intent to continue playing suggests that he is targeting the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. “It means that he must have that goal in mind of playing in the next 50-over World Cup in 2027,” Ponting said.
India had a stellar run in the 2023 World Cup under Rohit’s leadership, winning 10 consecutive matches before falling to Australia in the final. Ponting believes that the loss at the final stage is likely to be a motivating factor for Rohit to stay on and give the 2027 World Cup one more shot.
“I think probably the fact that they lost the last one and he was captain, that might be the thing that’s playing on the back of his mind,” Ponting explained. “Just have one more crack at trying to win the T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy, and the ODI World Cup.”
Ponting emphasized that Rohit’s performance in the Champions Trophy final only reinforces that he is far from past his prime. “When you see him play like he played in the Champions Trophy final, you would not say that his time is up just yet,” Ponting concluded.
Rohit, while keeping all options open, also addressed the possibility of participating in the 2027 World Cup, stating, “It is very hard to say that right now… But I am keeping all my options open. I want to see how well I am playing. Right now, I am playing really, really well, and I am enjoying everything I am doing with this team, and the team is enjoying my company as well.”
He further added, “I cannot really say 2027, because it is too far, but I am keeping all my options open.”
Rohit Sharma finished the 2025 Champions Trophy with 180 runs in five matches at an average of 36.00 and a strike rate of 100.00, with his best score being 76.