Former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar dismissed the rumors about Rohit Sharma’s retirement during the Champions Trophy, saying such nonsense talk is unnecessary. He believes senior players like Rohit should have the freedom to decide their future. Rohit, 37, recently denied retiring from ODIs after leading India to their second ICC title. However, he hasn’t said anything about the 2027 World Cup yet.  

“I’m not a fortune teller. There are many matches before the 2027 World Cup, and his form and fitness will decide what happens. It’s too early to say anything, but he has been brilliant as both captain and player. I don’t know why people are speculating it’s not needed. A player of his level should make that call himself,”  Vengsarkar told PTI.

Rohit’s batting was crucial in the 2024 T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy, especially in tough conditions. His attacking style batting, particularly in the final against New Zealand, helped the Indian team handle the slow pitch better.

“The way he has played over the years is simply outstanding. He has scored three double centuries in ODIs what more can I say? Players like Virat and Rohit shine in big matches. The bigger the stage, the better they perform. Just having them on the field puts pressure on the opposition,” said Dilip Vengsarkar, who, as a former chief selector, closely watched both Rohit and Kohli’s early careers. The team’s win was also helped by strong performances from Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul on Dubai’s slow pitches.  

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“Iyer batted really well, but I wasn’t happy with how he got out in the final. He should have stayed till the end and finished the game. But it’s good to see him realizing his potential,” Vengsarkar said.  

He also praised KL Rahul for his important knocks at No. 6 but questioned why Axar Patel was sent in before him at No. 5. “KL played some key innings, but I’m still not sure about Axar batting ahead of him. Maybe it was just for the left-right combination,” he added. Vengsarkar also gave credit to the selectors for India’s success. “They deserve praise too. They stuck with Rohit after the Australia series, and picking five spinners for the squad turned out to be a brilliant decision.”