Rohit Sharma To Make T20I Retirement U-Turn? India Captain's 'Still Young' Remark Raises Eyebrows
Rohit Sharma With Trophy- (Source: @Johns/X.com)
India captain Rohit Sharma has set his eye on winning the WTC title that India missed twice after losing in the finals of the first two WTC cycles. The hitman has already fulfilled one of his dreams by leading the Men in Blue to T20 World Cup 2024 title and announcing his retirement afterwards.
In the latest events, Sharma sat down for an interview with fitness influencer Jitendra Chouskey, where he opened up on his T20 World Cup triumph, retirement, and fitness. Rohit revealed the reason behind retiring from T20Is and also squashed off any fitness concerns behind his decision. Further, the hitman stated that he is still young and can play all three formats.
"The only reason I retired from T20Is was I have had my time. I enjoyed playing the format. I played it for 17 years. We won the World Cup and that was the best time for me to decide that, ‘Okay. It’s time to move on and look after other things,” Rohit said.
“There are several talented players who can do well for India. I just felt that was the right time. I could still play all three formats for India easily. That’s why I said, fitness is in your mind. I’m a person with self-belief. I can control my mind when I have to. Sometimes it is not easy but most of the time I can do that,” he added.
Rohit Sharma Opens Up On His Fitness
Rohit Sharma has often faced criticism for his detoriating fitness. Recently, Sharma stated that he is young and is close to playing 500 international games.
“There are several talented players who can do well for India. I just felt that was the right time. I could still play all three formats for India easily. That’s why I said, fitness is in your mind. I’m a person with self-belief. I can control my mind when I have to. Sometimes it is not easy but most of the time I can do that,” he added.
Sharma stated that longevity in sports is a crucial parameter to judge a cricketer's fitness. He said:
“To play for 17 years, and, I’m close to 500 international games now for India. Not a lot of cricketers across the globe have done that. To have that longevity, there has to be something about your routine. It’s all about how you manage your fitness, train yourself and get yourself ready for the game.
Rohit is currently in action against Bangladesh, but faltered with the bat in the first Test match at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai.