Rohit Sharma's Future Hangs in the Balance as Champions Trophy Final Could Determine His India Career: 'Retirement on the Horizon?'

The outcome of the Champions Trophy 2025 final between India and New Zealand on Sunday carries significant implications for Indian cricket. Reports from the Times of India suggest that the future of captain Rohit Sharma's leadership roles may hinge on the result of this crucial match.

According to the report, the BCCI is keen on having a stable captain to plan for the next two years. There could be tough conversations about moving on from Rohit as captain in ODIs and Tests, with the board holding off on announcing new central contracts until after the final against New Zealand.

As per the report, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir have spoken with the BCCI and Rohit regarding the future course of action after returning from India’s tour of Australia earlier this year.

"Rohit still believes there is some cricket left in him. He has been told to communicate his plans going forward. Retiring is his call but there will be another discussion around continuing with captaincy. Rohit himself understands the need to have a stable captain if the team wants to prepare for a World Cup. There have been talks with Kohli too, but there doesn’t seem to be much anxiety around him," a BCCI source told the newspaper.

The board reportedly wanted to assess the team’s performance in the Champions Trophy following a difficult Test season. This has led to a reevaluation of Grade A+ contracts, currently held by Rohit, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja.

With BCCI’s policy favoring players who perform across all three formats for A+ contracts, concerns have emerged regarding Rohit, Kohli, and Jadeja, who have all retired from T20Is and faced a challenging red-ball season. However, a strong showing in the Champions Trophy could also keep their positions intact.

“The board will wait for Rohit’s decision after the Champions Trophy. If by any chance he chooses to retire, then the board will see what needs to be done. One can’t discount the fact that he won the T20 World Cup in July and has led well in the Champions Trophy as well,” the source added.

Past transitions

In the past years, MS Dhoni stepped down as white-ball captain two years before the 2019 ODI World Cup, allowing Kohli ample time to settle into the role. Similarly, Kohli relinquished T20I captaincy in 2021, paving way for Rohit. The 37-year-old also took over in ODIs in the same year, giving Rohit two years to lead the team into the 2023 World Cup.

With 2027 World Cup two years away, ODI vice-captain Shubman Gill is still developing as a leader.

ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025, IPL 2025 Schedule and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news along with India vs New Zealand Live Score. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }