Rohit Sharmaの最後のダンス：Champions Trophyは、ヒットマンキャビネットの最終的なICCトロフィーになりますか？

India cricket team captain Rohit Sharma could perhaps be playing his last ICC tournament in the Champions Trophy 2025. The 37-year-old will embark on a new journey, leading India’s mission to clinch yet another ICC title. More than his form, it is his age which casts aspersions on his future with the Men in Blue. Having retired from T20Is and with India not qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, CT 2025 seems to be the last chance for the Hitman to get his hands on an ICC silverware.

Rohit Sharma’s last dance at Champions Trophy loading?

Multiple reports have claimed that the selectors have asked Rohit to take a call on his future in ODIs following the Champions Trophy. With the management mulling to kick-in the transition stage soon, CT 2025 could perhaps be the last ICC event that Sharma will take part in. His participation in the next ODI World Cup, which is in 2027, is highly doubtful. As pointed out before, it is his age and not form which could cost him a spot in the marquee event. By the time the next big ICC event for ODIs arrives, he would be 40-years-old.

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Rohit is a GOAT in ODIs, no doubts whatsoever. Barring the World Cup year in 2023, India has not played many ODIs. Sharma has still managed to do exceedingly well in the limited opportunities provided in the 50-over format. He recently managed to break free from the shackles of poor form to smash a whirlwind 119-run knock in IND vs ENG 2nd ODI in Cuttack. With that innings, he overtook Dravid to become the 10th highest run-getters in ODIs. One can only hope that Rohit will be able to turn the clock back to 2019 ODI World Cup at the Champions Trophy and replicate his tremendous performance from that marquee event. He was in red-hot form in 2019, scoring five hundreds in the tournament.

Going by Gautam Gambhir’s strong belief in the left-right approach, it isn’t going to be too long before Yashasvi Jaiswal will be made a permanent part of the ODIs too. This would mean he would open with potential future captain Shubman Gill. Now, this in turn means that Rohit has to take a call on his career in the 50-over format.

Perhaps, he could take a call in good spirit if he replicates his feat in 2024 where he announced his retirement from T20Is after lifting the World Cup. Perhaps he could finally put behind the heartbreaking loss to Australia in the 2023 World Cup by finally lifting yet another ICC title and sign off from ODIs happily.

All eyes will be on the Hitman and his form as India will commence their Champions Trophy campaign on Thursday. The Men in Blue will lock horns with Bangladesh in Dubai for their CT 2025 opener. While nothing has officially been said about Rohit’s future yet, this tournament is still the last chance for the Hitman to add an ICC trophy to his studded cabinet. And he will not want to squander that opportunity.