'Joke ban chuka hai': Rohit Sharma's sly dig at players who reverse retirement decisions
At 37 years old, Sharma expressed that the timing of his retirement from the shortest format of the game was ideal.
Just under two months after officially announcing his retirement from T20I cricket, Rohit Sharma has reaffirmed his decision with a strong statement. In doing so, he subtly criticized a number of players who have previously declared their retirement only to later reverse their decision and make a comeback.
As the captain of the Indian ODI and Test teams, Sharma highlighted the uncertainty surrounding player retirements, noting that many players tend to return to the game after announcing their departure. However, the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning captain emphasized that his retirement from T20I cricket is definitive, with no possibility of him reversing his decision. At 37 years old, Sharma expressed that the timing of his retirement from the shortest format of the game was ideal.
"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," said Rohit in an interaction with Jio Cinema.
"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," Rohit added.
Rohit Sharma stands as the sole Indian player to have secured two T20 World Cup titles. He first entered the shortest format during India's victorious 2007 campaign and concluded his T20 career with a final appearance in the triumphant 2024 tournament.
Throughout his tenure, Rohit participated in a total of 159 T20Is for India, amassing an impressive 4137 runs at an average of 32.0, including five centuries.
Shahid Afridi became renowned for his frequent retirement U-turns, stepping away from the sport in 2016, 2010, 2011, and 2014, only to make a comeback on all four occasions before ultimately retiring for good in 2017.
Most recently, the Pakistan duo of Mohammed Amir and Imam Wasim surprised fans by reversing their retirement decisions in order to compete in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Similarly, star England all-rounder Ben Stokes made headlines when he announced his ODI retirement in 2022, only to return to the Jos Buttler-led side a year later and participate in the 2023 Cricket World Cup.