Right at the end of a lengthy and typically thoughtful valedictory press conference in the bowels of the Dubai International Stadium late on Sunday night, Rohit Sharma provided the pay off that most of India had been hoping for. He’s not going anywhere.
The India captain turns 38 next month. Speculation had mounted that he might sign off his impeccable international career if they won the Champions Trophy.
It would certainly be a glorious way to finish. Their title win over New Zealand was their 23rd win in the space of 24 matches in major competitions.
They have reached the final of the past four ICC events, claiming titles in the T20 World Cup and now the Champions Trophy.
As leader, Rohit has shaped one of the all-time great sides in international cricket. And he is still enjoying it too much to leave the party just yet.
“One more thing,” he said at the end of his exhaustive answer to the last question of the night. "I’m not going to retire from this format, just to make sure that no rumours are spread moving forward.”
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India players celebrate after beating New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy final at Dubai International Stadium on March 9, 2025. Getty Images -
India captain Rohit Sharma with the trophy after defeating New Zealand. AP -
India's Virat Kohli celebrate with the trophy on the podium after defeating New Zealand at Dubai International Stadium. AP -
KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja celebrate after India defeated New Zealand by four wickets. Getty Images -
India captain Rohit Sharma hit 76 off 83 balls, including seven fours and three sixes. AFP -
New Zealand fielder Kyle Jamieson drops India's Shreyas Iyer on 44. Iyer would only contribute another four runs to his team's total, though. AP -
India's KL Rahul hit an unbeaten 34 off 33 balls including one four and one six. AFP -
New Zealand's Michael Bracewell, left, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of India batter Virat Kohli via lbw for just one. Bracewell finished with figures of 2-28 off his 10 overs. AFP -
New Zealand fielder Glenn Phillips after his wonder catch to dismiss India's Shubman Gill. AP -
India opener Shubman Gill hit 31 off 50 balls including one six in an opening partnership of 105 with Rohit Sharma. AFP -
India fan during the Champions Trophy final in Dubai. AFP -
Daryl Mitchell top scored for New Zealand with 63 off 101 balls, including three fours as his team reached 251-7 in their 50 overs. Reuters -
India wicketkeeper KL Rahul runs-out New Zealand captain Mitchel Santner for eight. AP -
India spinner Varun Chakravarthy, centre, celebrates with teammates after trapping New Zealand's Glenn Phillips lbw for 34. Chakravarthy finished with figures of 2-45 off his 10 overs. AFP -
New Zealand's Michael Bracewell hit an unbeaten 53 off 40 ball including three fours and two sixes. AFP -
New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips is bowled by India's Varun Chakravarthy for 34. AFP -
India's Ravindra Jadeja celebrates after trapping New Zealand batter Tom Latham lbw for 14. AP -
New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra is bowled by India's Kuldeep Yadav bringing to an end his quickfire 37 off 29 balls that included four fours and a six. AP -
India fans at the Dubai International Stadium watching their team coast to victory. AFP -
India's Kuldeep Yadav, front, celebrates with teammate Virat Kohli after the dismissal of key New Zealand batter Kane Williamson for 11. Yadav finished with figures of 2-40 off his 10 overs. AP -
New Zealand opener Will Young takes a ball to the face during his knock of 15. Getty Images
So there it is, then. The India juggernaut will rumble on with the same man in the driving seat. The rest of the world, beware.
India’s win in the final might have felt more nervy than at any stage of the competition. The anticipation for the match was extraordinary. Tickets were advertised on resale websites at nearly Dh100,000.
Fans flew in from various points around the globe. The first supporter through the gates started queuing at 8am – five hours before the start of play.
The team he had come to support were celebrating their latest title at 9pm, meaning that supporter had done a 13-hour shift following his team.
Despite the frenzy, India’s players were as assured as they had been throughout the tournament. KL Rahul, in a humorously coarse flash interview post match, suggested he was not as cool as he looked carrying his side through the final overs, but they got the job done with an over and four wickets in hand.
Rohit was proud of his boys. “Someone was telling me in this ICC tournaments we've lost only one game in the last three ICC tournaments that we've played,” Rohit said.
“It's a great, great milestone to have. And that speaks what the kind of team this is. I know we didn't win the World Cup, we lost that final [to Australia in 2023].
“But then we went to T20 and didn’t lose a single game and went on to win the trophy, and here as well. It shows a lot of quality in the team, a lot of depth, a lot of understanding within the group, a lot of enjoyment, a lot of excitement. And that is how we want to play our cricket.”
India faced some controversy during the competition – albeit not of the side’s making. It was pointed out they had an advantage by playing all of their matches at one, neutral venue, in Dubai during a tournament nominally hosted by Pakistan.
Whatever the foibles of the scheduling, Rohit’s side presented an image of the country of which they can be proud, he said.
“Representing India is not a joke,” Rohit said. “Everyone wants to represent India with a lot of integrity and a lot of pride as well.
“That is what all of them go with that kind of pride on the field. Results will go here and there at times, but I think the most important thing with this team that I've seen in the last three years is everyone understanding and doing what is required for the team.
“There has been a lot of shuffle in the batting order. Guys have been given different roles. Some of the match winners are not here. Guys like [Jasprit] Bumrah, [Mohammed] Siraj, who have done exceptionally well for us.
“But sometimes you've got to pick the players who are suitable for the conditions. And that is the understanding we have.
“It is frustrating for the guys who miss out. But again, we try and make those decisions just to make sure that we have enough depth, enough in our bowling, batting, and the team is prepared to tackle any kind of situation that is thrown at us.”
