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Dilip Vengsarkar says speculation about Rohit Sharma’s future is unwarranted, praising Rohit and Virat Kohli’s impact. He critiqued Shreyas Iyer’s dismissal in the final.
Rohit Sharma (Picture credit: AP)
Former India international and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar feels the speculation around ODI and Test skipper Rohit Sharma‘s future is ‘unwarranted’ because a player of his ‘stature’ should be allowed to decide his future. Vengsarkar didn’t give his opinion on whether he thinks Rohit will play in the 2027 World Cup but said as long as he, and Virat Kohli, will play for India, their ‘sheer presence’ would ‘demoralise’ the opponents.
Before the 2025 Champions Trophy, some reports said Rohit’s future in international cricket was up in the air and will be decided after his discussions with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). However, after India won the tournament on Sunday, beating New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai, Rohit confirmed that he will not retire anytime soon and was keeping ‘all options open’ about his future.
“I am not an astrologer,” Vengsarkar told news agency PTI. “A lot of matches to go till the 2027 World Cup. A lot will depend on his form and fitness. It is not fair to say anything at this stage but he has been outstanding as both captain and player. I don’t know why people speculated (on his retirement), it’s unwarranted. A player of his stature should get to decide about his future.”
“The way he has been playing all this time is nothing short of exemplary. He has got three double hundreds in ODI. What more do I say about him. Guys like Virat and Rohit are big match players, bigger the platform the better the performance. It is very important from team’s point of view. Their sheer presence is demoralizing the opposition,” Vengsarkar added.
After the Champions Trophy, Rohit became only the second Indian captain after MS Dhoni with more than one ICC title to his name. He’ll be around 40-years-old by the time of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Not happy with the way Iyer got out in the final: Vengsarkar
Vengsarkar also spoke about India’s middle-order rocks in the Champions Trophy: tournament’s highest run-scorer Shreyas Iyer, all-rounder Axar Patel and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul.
“Iyer did very well but I am not happy [with] the way he got out in the final. He should have continued till the very end and finished the game. But happy to see him realise his potential. KL too played a few important innings at number six but [I am] still not convinced [about] Axar Patel batting ahead of him at five. The left-hand right-hand combination could be the only reason,” he said.
Vengsarkar also credited the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee for the team’s success, saying the idea of taking five spinners to the tournament was a ‘masterstroke’.
