Team India’s Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma has shared that the fact that he has played international cricket for 17 years now and he is close to playing 500 games for India shows his fitness. The veteran also stated that not many players in the game have played as many matches as him as well. Having made his international debut in 2007, Rohit is featured in his 485th match for India in the ongoing Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur as well. He has scored 19,245 runs at an average of 43.15, with 48 centuries and 106 fifties as well.

On Jitendra Chouksey’s podcast, he said: “To play for 17 years and to play nearly. I am close to 500 games now for India internationally. 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.”

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However, Rohit Sharma is fourth on the list of leading run-getters for India in international cricket. Only Sachin Tendulkar (34,357), Virat Kohli (26,965) and Rahul Dravid (24,064) have scored more runs than him as well.

“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 Sharma concluded.