"He's preparing for..." Rohit Sharma's coach reveals when Hitman will retire from ODI cricket

Rohit Sharma won Player of the Series award in the ODI series between India and Australia.

Following Rohit Sharma’s magnificent batting performance in the recently concluded ODI series between Australian Cricket Team and Indian Cricket Team, the opening batter put all the talks related to his retirement to rest. The right-handed batsman silenced his critics with his match-winning century in the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney on Saturday (October 25), keeping his dream to play the next ICC Cricket World Cup in 2027 alive.

While chasing 237 runs, the former India captain played a key role, smacking unbeaten 121 runs off 125 deliveries to power the team to an easy victory by nine wickets. With Virat Kohli (74*), he etched a partnership of 168 runs for the second wicket, which took the team home with over 11 overs to spare. He was awarded Player of the Match in the encounter.

Smacking 202 runs across three matches at an outstanding average of 101.0 and a strike rate of 85.59, the 38-year-old was also adjudged Player of the Series. Rohit got out cheaply for eight runs in the first game in Perth, however, he bounced back in the next two games by scoring 73 and 121*.

Rohit Sharma wants to play the 2027 World Cup and only retire after that: Dinesh Lad

Speaking to PTI, Rohit’s childhood coach Dinesh Lad heaped praise on his ‘ward’ following his brilliant performance in Australia. Lad also revealed that the veteran Indian batter wants to play ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 and will hang up his boots only after the tournament.

“This is a special moment, there were talks that he was not performing, that he should stop playing cricket, but he played two good innings in the last two matches, 73 first and now 121*, and has shown he is still a top player who’ll still contribute to the country… The only secret is his self-confidence. That’s why he hasn’t retired. He wants to play the 2027 World Cup and only retire after that, and he’s preparing for that,” he said.

The veteran coach also refuted rumours about any friction between Rohit and Kohli, asserting that they are close friends.

“There were a lot of ugly talks about Virat… But I had said that he’d perform. Both did well. I want to see them play the 2027 World Cup… Many said there was friction between Rohit and Virat, but that’s not true; they are close friends and play for the nation,” Lad added.

Notably, Rohit was replaced by Shubman Gill as ODI captain ahead of India’s tour of Australia 2025 and at that time, it was widely speculated that three-match series will be his last. However, Rohit has made a strong point for his position in the team with his stellar show down under.

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