{"id":12213,"date":"2026-08-14T06:53:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T06:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=12213"},"modified":"2026-08-14T06:53:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T06:53:17","slug":"you-cant-play-forever-matthew-haydens-blunt-message-on-rohit-sharmas-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=12213","title":{"rendered":"\u2018You can\u2019t play forever\u2019: Matthew Hayden\u2019s blunt message on Rohit Sharma\u2019s future"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133230696,imgsize-125848,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg\" alt=\"\u2018You can\u2019t play forever\u2019: Matthew Hayden\u2019s blunt message on Rohit Sharma\u2019s future\" title=\"India's Rohit Sharma (ANI Photo)\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"India's Rohit Sharma (ANI Photo)\">India&#8217;s Rohit Sharma (ANI Photo)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Rohit Sharma\u2019s place in India\u2019s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup continues to generate debate, but former Australia opener <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/matthew-hayden\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matthew Hayden<\/a> believes the decision over how long the veteran batter wants to continue will ultimately rest with Rohit himself.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/>Rohit, now retired from Test and T20I cricket, is exclusively playing ODIs for India. Hayden feels the 39-year-old will have to assess whether he still possesses the hunger, energy and motivation required to handle the demands of international cricket alongside the Indian Premier League.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"6\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/>Speaking to ANI, Hayden said the retirement debate is something every veteran eventually faces and stressed that there is no definitive answer other than the player himself knowing when it is time to stop.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"12\"\/>&#8220;Look, when you get to the age Rohit is at, you start facing those questions. Before him, it was Virat, and before that, it was <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/gautam-gambhir\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gautam Gambhir<\/a>. It just goes on and on. You can&#8217;t play this beautiful game forever. When you reach that stage of your career, you&#8217;re inevitably asked whether it will be the IPL or international cricket that goes first. Rohit has already retired from Test cricket, so ultimately, only he can know whether he still fights a lion to keep charging through what is an incredibly demanding schedule. You need a young man&#8217;s energy to compete at the very highest level.<!-- --> So, in the end, it will be entirely his call,&#8221; Hayden told ANI.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"19\"\/>Rohit has, however, continued to provide evidence that age alone should not determine his international future.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>Questions about his prospects of making the 2027 World Cup squad intensified because of his age, particularly after he had already walked away from two formats. The speculation reached another level during India&#8217;s ODI tour of England, with reports suggesting that the third ODI at Lord&#8217;s could potentially be his final appearance for the country.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/>Instead, Rohit produced one of the standout performances of the series.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"26\"\/>Chasing 388 in the series decider, the former India captain smashed 138 from just 110 balls, striking 17 fours and five sixes. His innings helped him silence much of the speculation surrounding his future, although India eventually fell short by 27 runs.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"28\"\/>Rohit finished the three-match series with 175 runs at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of 98.31.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"31\"\/>His performance in the chase was made even more memorable by his partnership with long-time India teammate <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/cricket\/player-profile\/virat-kohli\/3993\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Virat Kohli<\/a>, who contributed 74 from 60 balls, including four fours and three sixes. Despite their efforts, India lost the series 2-1.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"35\"\/>Rohit remains one of the most prolific ODI batters in the history of the format. He has scored 11,895 runs in 288 matches and 280 innings at an average of 48.95 and a strike rate of 93.04.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>His ODI record includes 34 centuries and 62 fifties, with his highest score being 264. <!-- -->He currently sits seventh on the all-time ODI run-scoring list and is India&#8217;s third-highest run-getter in the format, behind Virat Kohli&#8217;s 14,941 runs and Sachin Tendulkar&#8217;s 18,426.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"41\"\/>Even in 2026, Rohit has continued to contribute significantly. In nine ODIs this year, he has accumulated 379 runs in nine innings at an average of 42.11, with one hundred and one fifty. His highest score remains the 138 he made against England.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"45\"\/>With the 2027 World Cup set to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, Rohit\u2019s future will remain under scrutiny. But Hayden&#8217;s view is clear: if the veteran still has the desire and physical capacity to meet the demands of international cricket, the final decision should belong to him.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/cricket\/news\/you-cant-play-forever-matthew-haydens-blunt-message-on-rohit-sharmas-future\/articleshow\/133230644.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India&#8217;s Rohit Sharma (ANI Photo) Rohit Sharma\u2019s place in India\u2019s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup continues to generate debate, but former Australia opener Matthew Hayden believes the decision over how long the veteran batter wants to continue will ultimately rest with Rohit himself.Rohit, now retired from Test and T20I cricket, is exclusively playing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12214,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786690397_london-england-jul-19-ani-indias-rohit-sharma-celebrates-his-century-duri.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"India&#8217;s Rohit Sharma (ANI Photo) Rohit Sharma\u2019s place in India\u2019s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup continues to generate debate, but former Australia opener Matthew Hayden believes the decision over how long the veteran batter wants to continue will ultimately rest with Rohit himself.Rohit, now retired from Test and T20I cricket, is exclusively playing [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 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