Former India opener Aakash Chopra hailed Rohit Sharma as one of the all time greats in ODI cricket but said that 'eventually it has to end' after news of his potential retirement broke out. As per reports, the team management have communicated to the 39-year-old that he longer remains first choice with the team heading towards the 2027 World Cup.
"No matter how beautiful a story is, eventually it has to end. Ultimately, everybody has to say goodbye. Rohit Sharma is 39 years old. He will become 40 next year. The World Cup is one-and-a-half years away. So he will be more than 40," Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Rohit has played every ODI since the 2023 World Cup when fit and has publicly stated his aim to play and win the 2027 edition. However, after low scores in the two games in England, the rope for Rohit has run out, with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting in the wing. Chopra believes if the team has to try out a successor, it is the right time.
"If the Indian team has to go towards someone else, this is the time," he added.
Chopra did not discount Rohit's contribution to the game but noted that he was 'not the same player' since giving up captaincy after the 2025 Champions Trophy. Once the flagbearer of attacking cricket, Rohit has become more conservative in his approach. However, he could have been afforded more time, but would have been a difficult decision.
"Could a little more time have been given? Could you have waited a little longer, as one-and-a-half years are left? Again, you keep getting closer to the D-day, but I am myself saying that one-and-a-half years are left. So you could have waited a little. However, it was always going to be a tough one," he noted.
