Rohit Sharma’s Instagram story sparks speculation on ODI retirement

Pic/Instagram

In a poignant moment that left Indian cricket fans both nostalgic and anxious, former captain Rohit Sharma shared an Instagram story from Sydney International Airport, hinting at what could be his final goodbye to one of his favourite cricketing battlegrounds.

The image captures Sharma dressed in a casual grey T-shirt and jeans, backpack slung over his shoulder, walking towards the departures gate. With a cap tilted back and a hand raised in a subtle wave, he exudes a mix of resolve and reflection against the glowing "Departures" sign. The overlay text reads: "One last time, signing off from Sydney" followed by a fist emoji, evoking a sense of closure. The story, posted around 9 pm on Sunday, immediately sparked a flood of reactions on social media, ranging from heartfelt tributes to urgent pleas for clarification.

Check Rohit Sharma's Instagram story here

The post comes shortly after India's gruelling ODI series against Australia, which concluded on Saturday with the visitors losing 1-2. In the final match, however, India's stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, led the visitors to a consolation victory.

Sharma struck his 50th international hundred, while Kohli played a brilliant knock, propelling India to a nine-wicket win in the third ODI. After Harshit Rana (4-39) led the bowling attack to restrict Australia to a below-par 236, Rohit (121 not out) and Kohli (74 not out) stitched a 168-run partnership in just 170 balls, taking India to 237-1 in 38.3 overs.

The knocks came amid speculation over whether the two stalwarts will play in the ODI 2027 World Cup.

After the Sydney victory, Sharma reflected on his time in Australia: "Always love coming here and playing here. Fond memories of 2008. I'm not sure if we'll be coming back to Australia, but we enjoy our cricket no matter what accolades we have achieved in the past."

Kohli echoed the sentiment, saying, "You might have played international cricket for a long time, but the game teaches you something at every stage. Situations in the middle bring out the best in me."

Before Sharma and Kohli's return to the international circuit in the three ODIs in Australia, speculation had been building heavily about their retirement.

(With PTI and ANI inputs)