'Compared to other captains, look at his win percentage' - AB de Villiers hails Rohit Sharma among best captain in ODIs

Under Rohit Sharma's able captaincy, India lifted the prestigious Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai. There were ongoing speculations of his retirement from international cricket following the win, however, the player himself has confirmed that he is not going to retire. After his statement, new reports of him playing at least till the 2027 ODI World Cup have emerged.

Opining on the same, AB de Villiers has come forward to express that there is still a lot of cricket left in Rohit Sharma. He further feels that the Men in Blue skipper's records as a leader will easily make him among the best in the 50-over cricket by the end of his career. Additionally, the South African international also feels that Sharma can still win games for India, not just by his tactical brilliance, but with his equally potent batting skills.

“Compared to other captains, look at Rohit’s win percentage, it’s almost 74%, which is substantially more than any other captain of the past. If he keeps going, he will go down as one of the best ODI captains of all time. Rohit has also said he is not retiring and has requested that rumours be stopped spreading. Why would he retire? With that kind of record not only as captain but also as a batter. That 76 in the final, giving India a fantastic start, laying the foundation for success, and leading from the front when the pressure was at its peak,” de Villiers said on his YouTube Channel.

No reason to retire, says de Villiers

Furthermore, de Villiers also feels that Rohit's record speak for themselves and trolls have no reason whatsoever to criticize the playing techniques of the star India batter. Known for his ferocious strike-rate, the former wicketkeeper-batter also believes that the tempo Rohit sets with his batting in the first powerplay, has worked wonders for the Indian team over the last two or three years.

“Rohit Sharma has got no reason to retire. No reason to take any criticism whatsoever. His record speaks for himself. Not only that, but he has also sort of transformed his game. If we have a look at his strike rate in the Powerplay it was quite low for an opening batter in the Powerplay but since 2022 his strike rate has rose to 115 in the first powerplay and that’s the difference between good and great. It’s transforming your own game and it never stops. You have always something to learn and something to do better,” he concluded.