Rohit Sharma firm on T20I decision: 'Retirement has become a joke in cricket'

Rohit Sharma ruled out any chance of returning to T20I cricket, stating that his decision to retire from the format after the T20 World Cup triumph is final. However, he continues to play in both ODI and Test cricket.

In Short

• Rohit Sharma retired from T20I cricket after India's T20 World Cup triumph in June
• Rohit continued to play Test and ODI cricket for India
• Rohit said he will not return to play international T20s for the senior national team

India captain Rohit Sharma reaffirmed that he has retired from T20I cricket, stating there is no possibility of his return to the shortest format of the game. Rohit also took a subtle dig at the "retirement scene" in international cricket, remarking that he has seen some cricketers make U-turns on their retirement calls -- something he insists he will not do in his career.

Rohit retired from T20I cricket after India won the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA in July. Both Rohit and Virat Kohli ended their T20I careers shortly after India claimed the elusive trophy, defeating South Africa in a thrilling final in Barbados on June 29. However, Rohit has continued to play in both one-day and Test cricket, remaining the captain in these two longer formats.

"Retirement has become a joke these days in world cricket, people announce retirement but then return to play just like that. Yes, it hasn't happened in India a lot. However, I have been observing players from other countries. They announce retirement but then return and play cricket. You don't get to understand whether someone has retired or not," Rohit Sharma said in an interaction with JioCinema.

"I am very clear. That was it. It was the perfect time for me to say goodbye to the format. I started playing this format for India, I made my debut in ODIs, but straightaway went on to play T20 World Cup in 2007. We won that. I have now won another World Cup," he added.

Rohit said earlier this year that he was not thinking about retirement from T20Is, but the World Cup triumph influenced his decision to call it quits.

Rohit ended his T20I career with two World Cups, having won under MS Dhoni's captaincy in 2007 and as a captain in 2024.Rohit played 159 T20Is in a career that spanned 17 years, hitting 4231 runs, including five hundreds and 32 fifties. The 37-year-old led from the front in the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, playing fearless cricket and inspiring the team to play similarly.

Rohit is expected to continue playing in the Indian Premier League and it remains to be seen if he will stay at Mumbai Indians or begin a fresh chapter in the franchise-based T20 league.

Rohit will be leading India in the upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh, starting September 19. It marks the start of a long and busy Test season for India in which they will play 10 Tests, including five in Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Rohit will also set his sights on the Champions Trophy, scheduled to be played in February-March 2025. Having missed out on the ODI World Cup trophy in 2023, Rohit and his men will be keen on bringing the Champions Trophy home.