Team India‘s Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma stated that his 17 years in international cricket and nearing 500 matches for India demonstrate his fitness. The 37-year-old emphasized that few players have played as many matches as he has.
Since his international debut in 2007, Rohit is currently playing his 485th match for India in the ongoing Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur. He has scored 19,245 runs at an average of 43.15, including 48 centuries and 106 fifties. On Jitendra Chouksey’s podcast, the experienced batter shared his thoughts on his fitness and longevity in the sport.
“To play for 17 years and to play nearly…. I am close to 500 games now for India internationally,” Rohit said. “Five hundred games, not a lot of cricketers globally have played. To have that longevity, there has to be something about your routine. How you manage your fitness, how you manage your mind and how you train yourself. And how do you get ready for the game, most importantly.”
“At the end of the day, our job is to be 100 percent ready for the game and perform to win games. And then, if you go backwards then, in that preparation comes fitness,” Rohit added.
Interviewer : What do you think about fitness in cricket?
Rohit Sharma : " I've played cricket for 17-18 years and 500 intl games; not many have done that. There’s something to the longevity and routine I follow."
Bro on a mission 😭🔥 pic.twitter.com/x9q24QAI6L
— Jod Insane (@jod_insane) September 28, 2024
The right-handed batter ranks fourth among India’s all-time leading run-scorers in international cricket. Only Sachin Tendulkar (34,357), Virat Kohli (26,965), and Rahul Dravid (24,064) have accumulated more runs.
“I felt it was the right time”- Rohit Sharma on his T20I retirement
Although Rohit has retired from T20I cricket, he has no intention of stepping away from the other two formats in the near future. Reflecting on his T20I retirement, he mentioned that after winning the World Cup, he felt it was the right time to move on.
“The only reason I retired from T20Is is because I’ve had my time. I enjoyed playing the format. Played for 17 years and did well. Having won the World Cup, this was the best time for me to decide that this now time for me to move on and then look after the other things. There are lot of good players who are there, who can do well for India. I just felt it was the right time,” Rohit said.
Captain Rohit Sharma talking about his Retirement from Cricket : 🗣️-
— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) September 28, 2024
The 37-year-old is the top run-scorer in T20Is, having amassed 4,231 runs in 159 matches at an average of 32.05 and a strike rate of 140.89, which includes five centuries and 32 fifties.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.