‘It’s all written’: Rohit says T20I retirement wasn’t planned but time was just right

Rohit Sharma, who announced his retirement from T20 Internationals after captaining the side to the T20 World Cup 2024 win on Saturday (June 29) has said it was not planned. However, like Virat Kohli (35), the 37-year-old charismatic Indian skipper felt he had to make way for the younger generation. He said there was “nothing better” than saying goodbye with an elusive World Cup trophy.

Speaking to select media after a thrilling seven-run win in the final against South Africa, Rohit said he could not have picked a better time to leave the T20 format. However, he was quick to add that he would continue playing the IPL.

“Perfect situation”

“I don’t make decisions like this about my future. Whatever I feel is right from inside I try to do that. I don’t think much about the future or whether I would play this World Cup after the ODI World Cup last year,” the swashbuckler said.

“I never thought that I would retire from T20s. But the situation was such that I thought it was the perfect situation for me. Nothing better than winning the cup and saying goodbye,” added Rohit when asked if would have retired from T20s earlier had India won the ODI World Cup at home seven months ago.

India could not cross the finishing line in the ODI showpiece despite being the most balanced team in the tournament. They also had to endure a loss to Australia at the World Test Championship final last June.

“Sab likha hua hai”

Using a popular Hindi film line, Rohit said the triumph in Barbados was written in the stars.

“Jo likha hain wo hone wala hain, ye likha tha but humko pata nahi hain kee kab likha hain. Nahi toh hum aaram se aate and bolte ‘likha hain’ aur ho jayega (What is written is going to happen. This [victory] was written. But obviously you don’t know that before the match. Otherwise, we would have easily come and said, ‘it’s written’),” he quipped.

“Everything has to fall in place. As you saw, we were way behind the game. At one point, it seemed like they would win easily,” he said, referring to South Africa gaining the upper hand courtesy Heinrich Klaasen’s blazing 52 off 27 balls.

Full circle

Life has come full circle for Rohit, who was part of the 2007 T20 World Cup win under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy.

Talking about his T20 journey since then, he said: “I was told that I started in 2007, won the World Cup and I am leaving the game after winning the World Cup. So that’s a tailor-made situation for me. A proper full circle. So, I’m very happy with this.”

“I was 20 at that time. I tell my players to try to perform their roles. I had a role at that time. I used to bat at number 5 or 6. So, it was very important to finish well for us. I understand the game much better now, having played for so many years. So, it’s been brilliant,” he said, adding that it is a big challenge to play and captain in all three formats.

Long wait for sweet success

Considering the circumstances and India’s long wait for a title, the win on Saturday was one of the greatest of his career.

“This has to be the greatest time I can say that. It’s only because how desperately I wanted to win this. So, all the runs, all the runs that I’ve scored in all these years, I think it does matter, but I’m not big on stats and all of that.

“Winning games for India, winning trophies for India, that is what I look forward to all the time. And having this now right beside me probably has to be, I don’t know, honestly, I don’t know if it’s the greatest or what but it is definitely one of the greatest,” said Rohit.

“I wanted this badly”

He went down on his knees after the victory was sealed. On that emotional moment, Rohit said he was desperate for the trophy.

“...it was very emotional. I wanted this badly. So, it’s very hard to put it in words because that moment, I don’t want to say what I was thinking and what was going in my mind, but it was a very emotional moment personally for me.

“And I’m going to, I wish I could capture that moment myself but not really, you can’t do that but I will always remember that,” he said.

Kohli and Dravid “deserved” this high

He also acknowledged the massive contribution of batting mainstay Virat Kohli, who came good in the final with a crucial 76 after a lean tournament overall, and outgoing coach Rahul Dravid.

“More than any one of us, Rahul bhai deserved that trophy. What he has done for Indian cricket for the past 20-25 years, I think this was the only thing that was left in his cabinet. I am very happy from all of us on behalf of the entire team that we could actually do this for him,” he said.

“Look, Virat has been a champion player without a doubt. And we all know what he has done for us. At some point everyone has to say goodbye to the game and Virat was very clear that this is what he wanted to do and he was very clear before the start of the tournament as well.

“I am very happy for him that he batted like he did in the finals,” added Rohit.

(With agency inputs)