Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has urged India skipper Rohit Sharma to continue playing international cricket until the age of 45. The two were in conversation on Clarke’s Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, where the topic of balancing cricket and family came up. Rohit, who recently became a father for the second time, responded with a light-hearted yet touching comment about his priorities.
“Play till you’re 45 and then retire,” Clarke told Rohit. “You’ve got plenty of time to be a dad. You can be a dad and still play.”
In response, Rohit said, “I’m going home tomorrow. So just one day of being a dad.”
Clarke added, “One day at home feels like two weeks. Your own bed, your family, the comfort of being home and seeing both your kids — people don’t realise how special that is.”
RETIREMENT SPECULATION ADDRESSED
Rohit Sharma’s future has been under scrutiny for several months, especially after India suffered a rare 0-3 Test series loss at home against New Zealand last October, followed by a 1-3 defeat in Australia earlier this year. These setbacks had led to widespread speculation about Rohit’s retirement.
However, the India captain put all rumours to rest when he made it clear that he has no plans to retire from One-Day Internationals. “I am not retiring from ODIs,” Rohit said, signing his continue at least until the 2027 World Cup. He will be 41 by then, but age doesn’t seem to be a deterrent for the veteran cricketer, who is determined to push himself for one last major tournament.
Rohit has led India to two ICC titles in the past year the T20 World Cup in June and the Champions Trophy in March — reasserting his importance to the team across formats.
FAMILY OVER CRICKET
In November last year, Rohit and his wife Ritika welcomed their second child, a boy named Ahan. Rohit had to miss the opening Test against Australia in Perth as he opted to take paternity leave. This decision was especially important to him as he had missed the birth of his first child, Samaira, during the 2018 tour of Australia.
Recalling that moment, Rohit said, “In 2018, I had to miss a Test match and fly back home, but I was a day late. My wife had already given birth. On December 29, Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test, Australia were seven down at tea. I thought I could make the flight. But Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon batted through the session, and we had to come back the next morning to bowl them out. I missed the flight.”
Following the recent New Zealand series at home, Rohit requested the BCCI for time off to be with his family. The board fully supported his decision. “There was no pressure from the BCCI. It was entirely my call,” Rohit said. “And while Australia is a place we all love to play in, this time I wanted to be home.”
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