by 
The skipper of India Rohit Sharma said on Sunday that he “did not retire” of the international cricket of a day after having led his team to a record title of the Champions Trophy in Dubai.
India defeated New Zealand by four counters in the final of the 50 tournament after Rohit gave the team a start with its 76 when they hunted their 252 lens with six balls to lose.
Indian pillars Rohit, 37, and Virat Kohli, 36, had a lean form in the defeat of the 3-1 test in India in Australia earlier this year and the couple entered the tournament with swirling speculations on their ODI pensions.
“I want to specify that I am not going anywhere, I do not retire this format,” Rohit to journalists at the end of a long post-match press conference at the Dubai International Stadium.
He said that many rumors had toured his retirement, but he will stay.
Rohit led India to its second successive ICC title after the team raised the T20 World Cup to Barbados last year.
Rohit, Kohli and Ravira will Jadeja all withdrew from the shorter format after the triumph.
India, under Rohit, ended the finalists of the ODI 2023 World Cup after losing the final against Australia in Ahmedabad.
His shot of 83 balls intervened with seven four and three sixths was the first half-century of Rohit in this tournament where India, which played all their matches in Dubai, was undefeated in the five games they played.
India has lost only one game in three ICC tournaments from the ODI World Cup where the home team is intermed to be in the final.
The Rohit team remained undefeated during the T20 2024 World Cup in the United States and the Antilles and extended the race in this Champions Trophy.
“This is a big step to have, honestly speaking,” said Rohit about the realization.
“And that talks about the team type that it is.
“So that shows a lot of quality in the team, a lot of depth, a lot of understanding within the group, a lot of fun, a lot of excitement. And that’s how we want to play our cricket.”
India entered the eight nations tournament with an ODI 3-0 sweeping from England to home and was the team to beat in white ball cricket.
They are at the top of the classification of world teams in the ODI and T20 lists of the International Cricket Council.
“An India game is losing, where it goes here and there, and there are so much speculation,” said Rohit.
“But the boys and the team managed to put this aside and focus on how to win matches and how to enjoy the game.
“Representing India is not a joke. Everyone wants to represent India with a lot of integrity and a lot of pride too.”
FK / BSP
