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Rohit Sharma - (Source:@JOhns/X.com)
The ninth edition of Champions Trophy 2025 will kickstart in Pakistan on February 19 when the hosts take on New Zealand at the Karachi Stadium. Notably, the prestigious fifty-over event returns after a long hiatus of 8 years, which is why the hype is at an all-time high.
However, the upcoming event will also mark the last Champions Trophy for several stars who are towards the wrong ends of their 30s and at the business end of their careers. Meanwhile, this article will shed light on three captains who might play their last Champions Trophy.
1. Rohit Sharma
| Format | Year | Runs | Innings | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test+ODIs+T20Is | 2024 | 1154 | 40 | 31 |
First on the list is India skipper Rohit Sharma. The India opener is 37 years old, and in all practicality, it looks like the last ICC event for him and the Champions Trophy in particular, as the next edition will be in 2029 when the hitman will be 41 years old.
Besides the age, Rohit's form with the bat is too a point of concern. Despite smashing a century in the 2nd ODI, Rohit hasn't looked at his top game across formats and is struggling to make runs.
2. Jos Buttler
| Format | Year | Runs | Innings | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test+ODIs+T20Is | 2024 | 462 | 13 | 42 |
England skipper Jos Buttler is another one who might be playing his last Champions Trophy match. The right-hand batter is 34 and will be 38 by the next Champions Trophy.
Similar to Rohit, Buttler is also struggling to feature across formats and particularly, ODIs. Thus, it is expected that he might restrict himself to a T20I player in the coming years and focus on franchise cricket as well. Thus, the 2025 Champions Trophy is likely to be his last.
3. Temba Bavuma
| Format | Year | Runs | Innings | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test+ODIs+T20Is | 2024 | 622 | 16 | 44 |
Another star who is towards the wrong end of his 30s is South Africa captain Temba Bavuma. The 34-year-old hasn't had a great ODI career, and it is unlikely that he will play the next Champions Trophy in 2029.
Further, it is likely that after the Champions Trophy and 2025 WTC final, South Africa might look ahead of Bavuma and appoint Aiden Markram as full-time captain.
 "Abhinav Tyagi")