Rohit Sharma’s retirement date announced by Michael Clarke in front of Indian captain
India National Cricket Team captain and Mumbai Indians opener Rohit Sharma has made it clear that he is not going to retire from the game anytime soon amid the growing speculations over his future in the wake of his poor form with the bat in the ongoing IPL 2025.
After India’s embarrassing Test series losses against New Zealand and Australia, Rohit’s place in the national side is under the scanner. Many believed that Rohit might be nearing retirement, given his ongoing form with the bat for the Mumbai Indians in the ongoing IPL 2025.
Rohit Sharma clears the air on retirement amid IPL 2025 struggles
However, Rohit made it clear that he isn’t retiring from ODI cricket. Although the Hitman has not given any clues on the timeline, it seems that he has set his eyes on the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027.
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After the heartbreak of missing the trophy at home in 2023, Rohit sounded determined for one last big shot at glory in the ODI World Cup in South Africa, even if he’ll be 41 by then.
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Even former Australian skipper Michael Clarke shared some special advice for Rohit. Clarke encouraged the Indian skipper to play on till 45, saying fatherhood and cricket can go hand-in-hand. On his podcast, Michael Clarke said, “Huge congratulations on your boy. Super happy for you. You’ve got plenty of time to be a dad. You can be a dad and still play. Play till you’re 45 and then retire.”
Michael Clarke suggests Rohit Sharma play till 45, India captain refuses to deny
To which the right-handed batter said, “I am going home tomorrow. So just one day of being Dad.” Which prompted the former Australian skipper to say, “That’s the other thing a lot of people don’t realize. One day at home feels like 2 weeks. Your own bed, your family, the comfort of being home, and seeing both your kids.”
Notably, Rohit Sharma and his wife, Ritika, celebrated the arrival of their second child, Ahan, in November last year. To celebrate this special moment, Rohit had to miss the opening match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Perth.
Having missed the birth of his first child, Samaira, in 2018, Rohit this time wanted to make sure to be with his wife in the magical moment of their life.
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The Indian captain recalled India’s 2018 tour of Australia, where he faced a challenging situation. At that time, Team India was in the midst of the Boxing Day Test match, and on Day 4, December 29th, Australia was 7 wickets down at tea.
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Rohit thought he might still catch the flight back, but Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon frustrated the Indian bowlers by batting through the session, and the Indian team had to come the next morning to get them out.
This delay led Rohit Sharma to miss his flight, which was only scheduled for the evening, and he returned home one day later. And his wife, Ritika, had already delivered their daughter, Samaira. However, for his second child, Rohit made sure he would not have to go through the same situation.
‘There was no pressure to come to Australia’
Rohit Sharma signed off by saying, “We finished the Test matches in India against New Zealand, and then I requested BCCI that I just want to stay home, and without even a glimpse of thought, the BCCI was like, ok, just go for it.
“Take your time. There was no pressure on me to come to Australia. It was just my call whenever I wanted to come. And look, Australia is a place you don’t want to miss playing cricket in. We all love coming here and playing.”
