Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the shortest of the game after Team India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph in June. Rohit announced his decision to quit T20Is hours after Virat Kohli also made the announcement, saying that it’s time for the new generation to take over. In the past, there have been instances when players have made u-turns after taking retirements. However, Rohit has assured that his decision is final as he won’t be available for T20Is anymore. Rohit also highlight instances from the past, saying that taking retirements has become a joke.
“Retirement has become a joke these days in World cricket, people announce retirement but then return to play, it hasn’t happened in India – however I have been observing players from other countries, they announce retirement but then make a U-turn so you never really know whether someone has actually retired – my decision is final & I am very clear – it was a perfect time to say goodbye from T20I,” Rohit told Jio Cinema.
For instance, England all-rounder Ben Stokes decided to retire from ODIs in 2022, citing workload management and mental fatigue. He took a u-turn last year and played the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir had also decided to quit international cricket some years back, following a fall out with the management of the team back then.
However, Amir made his Pakistan comeback earlier this year in the lead up to the T20 World Cup. He played all the group games as Pakistan failed to make it to the knockout stage.
Meanwhile, Rohit rooted for the Indian youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, and Dhruv Jurel to become all-format players for the country.
With time, Jaiswal, Sarfaraz, and Jurel are being nurtured and groomed, Rohit is confident in their ability to become top players for the nation.
“Honestly, you don’t need to speak too much to them. They’re very new to Test cricket, Jaiswal, Jurel, Sarfaraz, all of them. We saw glimpses of what they can do with the bat, and Jurel, especially, with his gloves behind the stumps,” Rohit said in the pre-series press conference against Bangladesh.
“They have everything required to be top players for India in all three formats. Now, obviously, with time, we have to nurture and groom them. We have to keep talking to them, which we will do,” he added.
(With ANI Inputs)
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