Rohit Sharma has led India to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy, winning all three of his matches in the league stage. The Men in Blue will now take on Australia in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy in Dubai, the same stadium where India have played all their matches so far.
Ahead of the marquee clash, former India seamer Praveen Kumar has hinted that it could be the end of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s cricketing careers.
Speaking to the Times of India, Kumar said, “I am sure Rohit will lead India to a title win. He will have another ICC trophy soon… Bas yahi bolunga, Virat aur Rohit jaate jaate ek aur ICC trophy de do yaar (Virat and Rohit, give us one more ICC trophy before you retire)”
It isn’t clear if Kumar is talking about Virat and Rohit being in the last phase of their career or if he is suggesting that this may be the end for them in limited format cricket. However, with the next 50 over event being the 2027 ODI World Cup, many experts have suggested that Rohit and Virat could take an early retirement.
For instance, former India opener Aakash Chopra in one of his YouTube videos said, “I am saying with a heavy heart… There is a strong possibility. The Champions Trophy is about to happen and after that, there will be another ICC event this year, which is the WTC (World Test Championship) final and we haven’t reached there. So none among Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja will play that,”
Praveen Kumar lauds Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma:
In the same interview, Praveen Kumar went on to praise Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Kumar credited the skipper for the team’s good performance in the Champions Trophy and called him a ‘yaaron ka yaar’ (friend of friends).
“The team is doing really well. Whether it’s batting, fielding, or bowling, India is dominating in every aspect. The best part is that every member of this team is a match winner. I would give all the credit to Rohit Sharma. He is a ‘yaaron ka yaar’. He is a true team man,” Kumar added.
