Rohit Sharma must have goal in mind to play in ODI World Cup 2027: Ricky Ponting

Former Australia legend Ricky Ponting feels Rohit Sharma has his sights set on leading the Indian team in the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in October and November.

Rohit has led India to back-to-back ICC titles—the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Champions Trophy 2025. The Mumbai batter smashed a match-winning half-century in the Champions Trophy final on Sunday, March 9, against New Zealand, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, situated in Dubai. Ponting opined that the knock was Rohit's fitting answer to the critics who are always speculating about his retirement.

"When you start getting to that point of your career, everyone's waiting for you to retire. And I don't know why, when you can still play as well as he's played (in the Champions Trophy final), I think he was just trying to put those questions to bed once and for all and say, 'no, I'm still playing well enough. I love playing in this team. I love leading this team," Ponting said while speaking on the latest edition of the ICC Review.

"And I think, the fact that he said that, to me, it means that he must have that goal in mind of playing in the next (50-over) World Cup (in 2027)," he added.

Also Read: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma should think about retirement after winning the 2027 ODI World Cup: Yograj Singh

When you see him play like he played in Champions Trophy final, you wouldn't say his time is up: Ponting 

Furthermore, Ricky Ponting feels the defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup final may be playing on Rohit Sharma's mind, and he wants to have another shot at the title that is missing from his decorated cabinet. The former Australian captain said that Rohit's 76-run knock in the Champions Trophy final showed that he has a lot of cricket left in the tank.

"I think probably the fact that they (India) lost the last one and he was captain, that might be the thing that's playing on the back of his mind. Just have one more crack at trying to win the T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy, and the ODI World Cup. I mean when you see him play like he played in the Champions Trophy final, you wouldn't say that his time is up just yet," Ponting concluded.