This Aussie legend thinks Rohit Sharma has some 'unfinished business' that will keep him going until ODI World Cup 2027

Australia cricket legend Ricky Ponting has expressed his belief that Rohit Sharma is still at the top of his game, attributing his decision to continue leading India in the 50-over format until the 2027 ODI World Cup to a sense of unfinished business.

Despite having secured all ICC titles except the ODI World Cup, Rohit fell just short of claiming the trophy during the 2023 edition, losing to Australia in the final on home soil.

Speaking on The ICC Review, Ponting noted Rohit's clear intentions regarding his future goals. "When you start getting to that point of your career, everyone's waiting for you to retire. And I don't know why, when you can still play as well as he's played (in the Champions Trophy final), I think he was just trying to put those questions to bed once and for all and say, 'no, I'm still playing well enough. I love playing in this team. I love leading this team.'"


Ponting suggested that Rohit’s comments indicate he has set his sights on competing in the next 50-over World Cup in 2027. Rohit, who took on the captaincy in 2021 at the age of 34, recently celebrated his second ICC title as captain when India defeated New Zealand by four wickets to win the Champions Trophy. In that final, Rohit made a significant contribution with an innings of 76 runs from 83 balls, helping set up the victory.

Prior to the Champions Trophy, speculation about Rohit's retirement from ODIs circulated, especially after he had stepped back from T20 internationals following the T20 World Cup win. However, he firmly dismissed those rumors at the post-match press conference, said, "One more thing, I'm not going to retire from this format, just to make sure no more rumours are spread."

Ponting stressed that Rohit's desire to capture the one ICC trophy that has eluded him—the ODI World Cup—could be motivating him to extend his career. "I think probably the fact that they (India) lost the last one and he was captain, that might be the thing that's playing on the back of his mind. Just have one more crack at trying to win the T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy, and the ODI World Cup."

He concluded by remarking on Rohit's performance, and said, "I mean when you see him play like he played in the Champions Trophy final, you wouldn't say that his time is up just yet."