Ravindra Jadeja follows Rohit Sharma, puts an end to retirement rumors

No one from the Indian Cricket Team that won the ICC Champions Trophy is retiring. That’s the update for all the reports that speculated multiple retirements from the contingent. The Men in Blue overcame New Zealand by four wickets on Sunday to finally put an end to 12 years' worth of wait for their next Champions Trophy. However, as the players settled after a jubilant celebration, their first instinct was to dash the rumors that had been predicting their retirements for days. After the Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, refuted the speculations about his decision in the post-match conference, Ravindra Jadeja took to his social media to nullify the ongoing discussion about his respective retirement.

Days before the India vs New Zealand final at the ICC Champions Trophy, several reports churned up, indicating a potential overhaul in India’s ODI setup. The initial updates suggested that the BCCI was keen on bringing about a new captain to replace Rohit Sharma as a preparatory move for the 2027 ODI World Cup. The information then evolved into predicting the retirement of Rohit Sharma. 

Taking inspiration from India’s T20 World Cup victory last year, the internet came abuzz with speculations that the Champions Trophy could mark a similar moment for Indian cricket in the 50-over format. Drawing parallels from the 2024 T20 World Cup victory, predictions poured in that Rohit Sharma, along with Virat Kohli and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, would announce their retirement from the 50-over format after the conclusion of the Champions Trophy.

Ravindra Jadeja refutes retirement speculations after the ICC Champions Trophy victory

The phase before the ICC Champions Trophy brought unrestrained scrutiny for the senior Indian players. India concluded a horrid Test season, losing the Border Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 down under and getting whitewashed at home by New Zealand. Sitting at the center of the massive defeats were Rohit and Kohli, owing to their form that saw no light. However, a turn in the format brought about their redemption. Rohit hit a ton in the second India vs England ODI to prove his prowess in the format, while Virat Kohli scored his 82nd international century in the much-hyped India vs Pakistan encounter at the ICC Champions Trophy.

Virat Kohli, moreover, scripted the hard-earned victory in the India vs Australia semi-final, where his 84-run knock led the chase. Rohit Sharma came in with a much-needed contribution in the final against New Zealand, with a 76-run knock that put India on the path to victory early in the chase. Despite a mini-collapse in the middle order, Rohit’s opening stand made sure there never came a gap big enough to curb India’s 252-run chase against the Kiwis.

Ravindra Jadeja, meanwhile, worked in the shadows, delivering economical spells match after match in the ICC Champions Trophy. In the final, Jadeja bowled at an economy of 3.00, also scalping the crucial wicket of Tom Latham. Overall, the all-rounder became the spinner with the third-most economical spell in an ICC event final and the second-most economical spell by a spinner in a Champions Trophy final.

As far as fitness is concerned, Ravindra Jadeja winning the "Fielder of the Match" accolade after a match that witnessed youngsters like Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill dropping crucial catches speaks for itself. The fitness and agility of both Kohli and Jadeja, at 36 years old, remain unmatched not just in Indian cricket but in world cricket. Moreover, for Rohit, while Tests remain a concern, ODIs are currently his best format after retiring from T20Is. With all the elements working in favor of the senior players in the format, there appears to be no compelling reason for retirement at this stage.

Thus, as soon as the victory wrapped up in Dubai, Rohit was heard saying, "They think we're retiring," as he chatted animatedly with Virat Kohli. If the now viral excerpt from Rohit's celebration with Virat was not enough, the captain took the post-match presentation as a chance to put an end to the speculation. In a simple statement, Rohit clarified that he is not retiring as he closed the presser. Now, Ravindra Jadeja has come forward to dismiss the rumors on his part. The all-rounder, on Monday, put up an Instagram story where he called for an end to the speculation. Thus, the infamous hug between Virat Kohli and Jadeja in the final was an indication of nothing, unlike the perception that it was a sign of Jadeja’s last dance in the format.

"No unnecessary rumours, thanks," Jadeja wrote in his Instagram Stories.

Ravindra Jadeja's Instagram story.

- SIR JADEJA IS HERE TO STAY...!!! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/nTQNtNxEKo

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 10, 2025