India suffered a heartbreak at the last ODI World Cup in 2023, which slipped out of the hands of Rohit Sharma’s team at the last hurdle, as they lost the final to Australia after an unbeaten run to that point. And former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes that’s the reason why Rohit decided to not quit ODIs after India won the ICC Champions Trophy last week in Dubai.
The next ODI World Cup is in 2027, when South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will jointly host the showpiece 50-over event.
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“I think probably the fact that they lost the last one (ODI World Cup) and he was the captain, that might be the thing that’s playing on the back of his mind,” Ponting said on The ICC Review.
“Just have one more crack at trying to win the T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy and the ODI World Cup. I mean when you see him play like he played in the Champions Trophy final, you wouldn’t say that his time is up just yet.”
Rohit scored 76 and added 105 runs for the opening partnership with Shubman Gill to lay the foundation of India’s run-chase and subsequently a four-wicket triumph, after they had restricted New Zealand to 251 for 7 in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 9.
Rohit had earlier scripted history after the win over Australia in the semis, which made him the only captain to have led his team to the final of all four ICC events — World Test Championship, ODI World Cup, Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup, which India won last June.
Rohit and Virat Kohli had announced their retirement from T20Is after clinching the World Cup in Barbados last year. It was, therefore, being speculated that the duo might hang their ODI boots as well.
However, Rohit put an end to those speculations at his press conference after the Champions Trophy final.
“I’m not going to retire from this format, just to make sure no more rumours are spread,” Rohit said.
Rohit, who will turn 38 in April, will complete four years at the helm of Indian cricket — after he was handed over the team’s captaincy in 2021; and his decision to continue has clearly stated that he believes he can still deliver at the top level.
“When you start getting to that point of your career, everyone’s waiting for you to retire,” Ponting said. “And I don’t know why, when you can still play as well as he’s played (in the final). I think he was just trying to put those questions to bed once and for all and say, ‘no, I’m still playing well enough. I love playing in this team. I love leading this team.’
“And I think, the fact that he said that, to me it means that he must have that goal in mind of playing in the next (ODI) World Cup.”
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