Rohit Sharma Dismisses Age As Factor Behind T20I Retirement, Says, 'I Can Still Play All Three Formats Easily'

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has reckoned that for him fitness is more about controlling one's mind instead of physical appearance. He dwelled upon his longevity in cricket and how he has maintained his fitness and has prepared himself to face the challenges of this sport. The 38-year-old cricketer revealed that a player should ab able to make significant contributions to the team and for that it requires fitness, recovery, and diet.

He began playing in international cricket in 2007 and has played across all formats till June this year. He then announced his retirement from the shortest format after India's successful stint at the T20 World Cup. He is still leading the team in the 50-over format and the longest format and will also play in IPL 2025.

"To play for 17 years and close to 500 games for India, not many cricketers globally have achieved that. There must be very few. To have that longevity, there has to be something about your routine, how you manage your fitness and mindset, and how you train yourself. It's important to be ready for a game. Our job is to be 100 percent ready to perform. And then, if you look back, preparation includes fitness, recovery, and what you eat. For me to be game-ready, 100 percent and at my best, we have to manage 3–4 aspects," Rohit was quoted as saying on FITTR.

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"Everybody is different; every individual is different," he revealed.

Ever since his debut in 2007, Virat Kohli is the only other batter, who has played more matches than him. Rohit has featured in 485 matches, where he has scored 19,485 runs, which includes 48 hundreds and 106 half-centuries. MS Dhoni, who played in 463 matches for India is third in this list.

"The demand has increased in international cricket in the last five to seven years. There have been many games, and you travel a lot. Then, you had Covid-19. Imagine sitting in a room and doing nothing, and then, within a week, you have to play. For me, for cricketers, fitness is not about how you look body-wise; it's about what you can contribute to the team. It's about whether you can be on the field for five days with full intensity. Can you play a 100-over game, the ODI format, and be at your best for all 100 overs? And then, if there's energy left, you can play the T20 format. You have to train your body in a way that prepares you for all of this. For the past 8-9 years, I have been playing all three formats regularly. There is a lot of demand on your body, a lot of toll, and not much break in between. There are challenges; we have to understand them and work toward getting ourselves ready and delivering," he revealed.

'The only reason I retired from T20Is...'

At the same time, Rohit revealed the real reason behind his decision to announce retirement from the shortest format and said that he could have continued playing in all the formats. He announced his retirement from the shortest format so that the younger generation of Indian cricket could thrive in T20Is.

He was in sublime form at the mega-event, as he scored 257 runs, which was the highest by an Indian batter after playing in eight matches. Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the other batter, who scored more runs than him, i.e. 281.

"The only reason I retired from T20Is is that I have had my time. I enjoyed playing the format. I played for 17 years, did well, and then we won the World Cup. That was the best time for me to decide that it was time to move on and focus on other things. Many other players can do well for India. This decision was not based on anything else; I just felt it was the right time. "I could still easily play all three formats. That's why I want to emphasize that fitness is in your mind—how you train your mind. I believe everything is in the mind. I am a person who has a lot of self-belief because I know I can control my mind when I need to. Sometimes, it's not easy, but most of the time, I can do that. If you tell your body that you are young and capable, then of course you can do it," he said.

Even the fittest can get injured: Rohit

The Indian skipper has gone through his share of injuries in the last few years but hasn't taken long breaks. He admitted that all those players who suffer freak injuries are quite unfortunate.

"It's a very tough situation (dealing with injuries). It slows you down in many ways. You have to work within the parameters set by your trainers and physios. You work hard to get back to normal, but some injuries are unavoidable. Some happen quite freakishly while you're on the ground. For example, you might pull a calf muscle, strain your hamstring, or twist your knee while jogging. I've seen many friends and colleagues go through this. Luck plays a role too. Injuries can happen even to the fittest of players. If a player gets injured, it doesn't mean they aren't fit. It just means they're unlucky that it happened to them. That's how it is. I don't know all the science behind it, but having gone through many injuries, I know you have to be a bit unlucky to get injured," he concluded.

Rohit would be leading the national side in the 50-over format till the Champions trophy next year and the Test side till the WTC final next year.