Rishabh Pant struck an emotional chord with fans on Independence Day by sharing a heartfelt post that featured a never-seen-before video from India’s triumphant 2025 Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai. While his tribute to the nation was already special, the behind-the-scenes glimpse from the dressing room added a unique touch—and also sparked fresh debates about Rohit Sharma’s cricketing future.
Pant, who was part of the squad but didn’t feature in the playing XI, captured candid moments right after Ravindra Jadeja sealed victory with a match-winning boundary. The video began with Pant filming Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, and Mohammed Shami celebrating the win through high-fives and warm embraces before he panned across to other teammates.
The clip further showed Gautam Gambhir, India’s head coach, sharing an emotional hug with skipper Rohit Sharma, while Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Kuldeep Yadav joined in the banter. Pant, ever the entertainer, couldn’t resist teasing Rohit, leading to a light-hearted exchange that grabbed everyone’s attention.
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In the footage, Rohit is heard joking, “Kya? Retirement lelu? Har baar jeetega toh mai thodi retirement lete rahunga?” (What, should I retire? I can’t keep retiring every time we win!). Pant quickly responded with a cheeky smile, “Maine nahi bola bhai, hum to chahte hai khelo!” (I didn’t say that, brother. We want you to keep playing!).
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The fun banter aside, Rohit Sharma’s retirement has been a recurring topic. He bid farewell to T20 internationals after leading India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title and later ended his illustrious Test career in May 2025. Many speculated the Champions Trophy final could mark his ODI exit too, but the skipper decided otherwise.
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Currently, Rohit hasn’t played competitive cricket for months, with India’s next ODI assignment scheduled for October. Reports suggest that the BCCI might push both Rohit and Kohli to feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy to prove match fitness and form ahead of future ODI selections. Whether Rohit agrees or chooses to extend his ODI journey further remains the big question.
