Shubman Gill dismisses Rohit Sharma's retirement rumors before Champions Trophy final: 'I'm focused on the match tomorrow...'

As the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 final approaches between India and New Zealand, rumors about captain Rohit Sharma's potential retirement from international cricket have been circulating. Some sources suggest that the 37-year-old may announce his retirement following the conclusion of the highly anticipated final. However, vice-captain Shubman Gill addressed these speculations on Saturday, stating that neither he nor the rest of the team had discussed any such matters. The team remains focused on the crucial match ahead and is fully committed to giving their best on the field.

Gill, who has formed a formidable opening partnership with Rohit over the years in ODIs, said Rohit is not focusing on anything other than winning the Champions Trophy and bringing the title home.

The Indian vice-captain said all the chatter within the group is about how the side can win and come out on top against the BlackCaps.

Due to poor form, Rohit Sharma stood down from the Sydney Test against Australia. This resulted in a debate about his international future. However, he scored a century in the second ODI against England and has not looked back. Rohit has not gone big in the Champions Trophy but has given the team a flying start in the powerplay.

“All our discussions have been about winning the final and the title. The team and I have not been told anything about this decision,” Gill told reporters.

“Rohit Bhai would not be thinking about it at the moment. I think once the match ends tomorrow, he will make a decision. There is no talk about it within the setup,” he added.

‘Rohit might retire if…’

Earlier, a report in Dainik Jagran stated that Rohit Sharma might quit if India loses the Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand. The report also said that even if India goes on to win, there is still no clarity on what will happen to Rohit Sharma's future.

However, in both cases, Rohit Sharma, who won the T20 World Cup for India in 2024, will make the final decision.

Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill are in the running to be named the next ODI captain, as per the report.

In the Champions Trophy, Rohit Sharma registered scores of 41,20,15 and 28, aggregating 104 runs in four matches. Before the eight-team tournament, Rohit returned to form in the second ODI of the three-match series against England, scoring 119 runs.

Earlier, when Rohit “stood” himself down from the Sydney Test, there was chatter about the right-hander having possibly played his last match in the longest format. However, in an interview with the host broadcaster, Rohit emphatically stated that “he's not going anywhere.”

"The decision is not to retire. I'm not going to step aside (as captain). I have decided to step aside from this Test because I'm not scoring (enough runs). There is no guarantee that I won't score runs after two months or five months. I have seen things happen like this many times. But at the same time, I've also got to be realistic," he added.

When Star Sports presenter Jatin Sapru thanked him, Rohit interrupted by saying, "I'm not going anywhere."

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