Countdown on: Rohit Sharma set for last hurrah in ICC Champions Trophy

All the doubts over Rohit Sharma’s spot in India’s ICC Champions Trophy squad are over. He will lead India in his last ICC competition come February. While he could still continue in Test, in white-ball cricket, it will be the last time that Rohit turns out. After lifting the T20 World Cup trophy, it will be Rohit’s last chance to win another ICC trophy. With his dwindling form and age, it is unlikely that he will continue beyond the Champions Trophy which will be his swansong.

Having scored 3276 runs in 82 matches in ICC events (white-ball) at an average of 46.80, Rohit is one of the greatest India ever had in ICC events. Only Virat Kohli outperforms him in ICC events. But that is all set to come to an end in March. It will be a sweet goodbye if India lift the Champions Trophy. But if he doesn’t, it is likely that he will call it quits from all forms of cricket.

His inclusion in India’s Test squad for the England tour is still doubtful considering his red-ball form. Hence, the press conference Rohit Sharma attended with Ajit Agarkar on Saturday could have been his last with the chief selector.

Rohit Sharma’s record in ICC events

Event	Inn	Runs	Avg	Best	50	100
ODI WC	28	1575	60.57	140	6	7
CT	10	481	53.44	123	4	1
T20 WC	44	1220	34.85	92	12	0
Overall	82	3276	46.80	140	22	8

Will Rohit Sharma call it quits after Champions Trophy?

While Rohit Sharma, BCCI or the chief selector Ajit Agarkar have stayed silent on the subject, the transition is inevitable. Rohit has already retired from T20Is and his Test form is so poor that Agarkar will have a hard time justifying his selection for the IND vs ENG Test series.

The next ODI World Cup is in 2027 when he will be 40. Considering his recent fitness issues, Rohit won’t be part of that squad. Hence, the next three ODIs against England and a maximum of five ODIs in the Champions Trophy could be his last in India colours.

The ICC Champions Trophy will mark the end of a cycle. With Shubman Gill already designated vice-captain, BCCI will need to plan for 2027 WC around him. Yashasvi Jaiswal is already at his best and his combination with Gill could be crucial in the next stage of Indian cricket. Considering all those factors, it seems destined that Rohit will end his white-ball career in Dubai with or without the Champions Trophy in his hand.

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Even though the BCCI hasn’t said anything publically, the transition plan is already on. And soon, India will have three different captains in three different formats, in a first. While Jasprit Bumrah is likely to be India’s Test captain, Shubman Gill take up the ODI captaincy and Suryakumar Yadav will continue as the T20I skipper.

“See, it’s a very personal call. It’s not on the board to decide when a player should retire. It’s up to the player. There have been discussions of a transition. But as you rightly said, it will be the beginning of the 2027 World Cup cycle and that’s when the selection committee chairman must decide the next course of action. For the moment, Gill is primed since he is the vice-captain in white-ball games,” a BCCI official told InsideSport.

Shubman Gill to succeed Rohit Sharma?

In an ideal world, Jasprit Bumrah would have been the long-format captain while Suryakumar Yadav would have continued as the T20I skipper. However, Bumrah will need workload management more than ever. If he is fully fit, he will lead India in England but if he misses the tour Rohit could continue for one more series.

But after that, Bumrah is likely to be the Test captain with Shubman Gill or Rishabh Pant filling in as the deputy. In ODIs, Gill will be the designated skipper after the ICC Champions Trophy. When India tour Bangladesh in late August, Gill is set to be India’s captain for ODIs and not Rohit.

Cricket ICC Champions Trophy India Cricket Team Rohit Sharma