India Vs New Zealand Champions Trophy Final: The Rohit Sharma conundrum: Eye on the prize, ear on the future | Cricket News

India captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir (Pic credit score: BCCI)

TimesofIndia.com in Dubai: “Macha come for five minutes na… ,” Harshit Rana pleaded with Washington Sundar to hitch their crew, which was a participant quick, for a recreation of foot-volley at the Dubai International Stadium. Sundar, an off-spinner, was lazing round on the greens after sipping coconut water and was in no temper to change into the alternative for Virat Kohli, who left his crew halfway by means of the recreation to hitch head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma for a dialogue close to the taking part in sq..
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The three stood there and made plans for what to do on Sunday for practically 20 minutes. The hand gestures, Rohit’s shadow batting and Kohli pointing to completely different areas on the area prompt there was loads of plans being made. Not lengthy after, mild fielding drills took over. It was in no way an intense outing beneath the unforgiving solar as the whole bunch simply acquired a really feel of the afternoon, had a really transient crew assembly, some stars signed for the ready followers earlier than everybody made their manner again to the crew lodge.
The eve of the match, nonetheless, wasn’t that transient an affair for each the captain and vice-captain (Shubman Gill) as the two did not journey with the remainder of the crew to the stadium and have been as an alternative sweating it out at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Academy in the morning hours.

With batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and throwdown specialists for firm, the openers educated for round an hour earlier than becoming a member of the remainder of the crew. Even when the hearsay mill is working time beyond regulation on the future of India captain, Rohit has his eyes on the prize – an ICC ODI title.
There was a variety of function in his actions and discussions throughout the follow session on March 7 too as there’s unfinished enterprise for the Men in Blue. Most have been a part of the November 19 heartbreak vs Australia and the March 9 fixture, towards New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, presents a possibility for the ageing superstars, in the final leg of their respective careers, so as to add an ICC winners medal to their cupboard. There is a watch on the current however ears are firmly planted on the future too.
Mohammed Shami (34), Ravindra Jadeja (36), Kohli (36) and Rohit (37) will not be getting any youthful and this might properly be the final time the quartet function collectively in an ICC ODI event. The subsequent World Cup continues to be a few years away and it feels like a stretch at this stage.
Kohli, Rohit and Jadeja introduced retirement from T20Is after the World Cup win in 2024 and there might be some choices, if not bulletins, in retailer after the Champions Trophy concludes on Sunday. If India must make the roadmap for the 2027 World Cup, it has to start out instantly after the Champions Trophy and a few powerful calls should be taken.

The timing to provoke the transition in ODIs is good and it might properly not be dependent on the final result of the Champions Trophy closing. Vice-captain Gill, whose elevation is the step in the transition path, asserted that there are not any such discussions in the change room and the closing conflict vs the Black Caps stays the centre of consideration at this stage.
“No sir, till now we have only been discussing about winning the match, winning the Champions Trophy. He has not spoken to me or to the team about this decision. I don’t think Rohit is thinking about it,” says Gill at the pre-match press convention.
Will-he-won’t-he has been the repeated assertion since the multi-nation event acquired underway in Dubai and the chatter grew louder on eve of the title conflict. There was further consideration on his actions, routines on Saturday however the captain, for now, has his eyes firmly locked on the prize – the ICC Champions Trophy.