Rohit Sharma wants to match MS Dhoni’s biggest captaincy record as he refuses to retire from ODI cricket – Firstpost

Rohit Sharma has put an end to speculation regarding his ODI future, confirming that he has no immediate plans to retire from the format. The Indian skipper,
fresh off leading India to victory in the 2025 Champions Trophy, stated that he is taking things one step at a time but remains open to playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Speaking at the post-match press conference after defeating New Zealand on Sunday, Rohit made his stance clear: “One more thing, I’m not going to retire from this format. Just to make sure that no rumours are spread moving forward.”

Rohit’s announcement came after speculations that he, along with other senior players including the likes of Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Shami, might call time on their ODI careers following India’s Champions Trophy triumph. Rohit, Jadeja, and Kohli had retired from the shortest format after winning the T20 World Cup last year.

While Rohit has not committed to playing in the 2027 Cricket World Cup, he said that he will take things as they come and is not planning too far ahead, suggesting that he might play if he is fully fit.

“Right now, I am taking things as they come. It wouldn’t be fair for me to think too far ahead. I don’t want to draw any lines and say whether I will or won’t play in the 2027 World Cup. There’s no point in making such statements right now.”

Rohit’s eyes on MS Dhoni’s historic record?

Rohit’s decision to continue in ODIs appears to be linked to a major milestone, matching MS Dhoni’s legendary captaincy record. Dhoni remains the only captain in cricket history to have won three different ICC trophies, the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy.

With two ICC trophies under his belt, the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, Rohit now has his eyes set on the 2027 ODI World Cup. If he leads India to victory, he will equal Dhoni’s record of three ICC titles as captain.

At 37, Rohit knows the road ahead won’t be easy. However, his refusal to retire from ODI cricket on a high after winning the Champions Trophy suggests that he will give himself every chance to script history. The ODI World Cup is still nearly three years away and Rohit will have to remain fully fit to lead India in the tournament.

The next ODI World Cup is slated to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in October-November 2027. It will be interesting to see if Rohit can stay physically fit and compete in the tournament as captain to match Dhoni’s record.