Rohit Sharma Speaks Out About His T20I Retirement-"It Wasn't Fair For Me."

Rohit Sharma made a big announcement in June 2024 when he said he was retiring from T20 International cricket. This came after India had just won the T20 World Cup title. His retirement came after that of Virat Kohli who also chose to leave T20I cricket after the victory. The next day, Ravindra Jadeja also took a similar decision, and it created a void in the team. Now, more than 10 months back, Rohit has explained why and how he decided to quit playing T20Is. Rohit himself came out and said that even if India had not lost in the T20 World Cup, he would have quit playing too.

He informed journalist Vimal Kumar during a YouTube interview on his channel that he had done his share for the format and it was time to let others do it. "It was not fair for me to carry on if I was not doing my job," he said. But his World Cup victory altered his thinking. He mentioned that although he had thought of retirement, the success made him young once again and he felt like he had so much more to give. Rohit said that when you are doing well and giving results, it is difficult to leave the game behind, especially when you have struggled so hard to reach there. Reflecting on the past, he talked about the years of toil and grit he put in to become the best. "I know what all I have done and what I've gone through to reach here," Rohit said. "So why would you want to retire when you're still playing well?" His response was a testament to the long-standing passion and dedication he has for the game, and it was made clear that his retirement decision had not been an easy one.

Rohit's retirement preceded a historic feat. It was always his dream to win the T20 World Cup. It was his ambition, something he had worked for in his entire career. He revealed how much winning this trophy mattered to him upon retirement. "No better time to say goodbye," he had told us. "This was my last match and I so wanted this trophy. It's difficult to find the words just how much it means."

Rohit's T20I career was simply phenomenal.

In 159 games, he emerged as the highest run-getter in the format with 4231 runs. He also holds the record for most hundreds in T20 internationals with five hundred to his credit. Rohit's career in T20 cricket started at the first T20 World Cup held in 2007, when he contributed towards India's victory in their first title. His skipper status also emerged as he led India to their second T20 World Cup title, again justifying his position among the all-format greats of the sport. Apart from his T20I success, Rohit also retired from his Test career last month. This was a massive shift in his playing career. Now Rohit concentrates only on India's One-Day Internationals (ODIs), while he still plays for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). His T20I and Test retirement notice indicates that he needs to concentrate on those types of cricket where his current want and physical fitness can be utilized.

Rohit's transformation from the inaugural T20 World Cup to one of the all-time greats of the format is a tale of hard work and perseverance. His captaincy in the 2024 World Cup was a fitting conclusion to a golden T20I career. Even though he has retired from T20 internationals, his record in the format will never be surpassed, and future generations of cricketers will look up to him.